Inspired by Wikileaks, Swazi Leaks is a Twitter account and Facebook page that exposes corruption and exploitation in one of the poorest nations in the world. While 60% of the population of Swaziland lives on less than $1 a day, King Mswati Swaziland has an estimated net worth of $100 million dollars.
The small, southern African nation of 1.2 million people made headlines earlier this year when Erykah Badu held a private concert for King Mswati and his family and friends. The performance drew sharp criticism from human rights groups, but Badu maintains that it was “harmless”. She also claimed via Twitter, that she donated her earnings to the people of Swaziland.
His majesty, wives, children, & enormous entourage are in #Italy on holiday. They are spending our money #Swaziland pic.twitter.com/4WzrzaMejQ
— Swazi Leaks (@SwaziLeaks) April 7, 2014
Now Swazi Leaks, which launched last year, is giving outsiders a deeper look into the extravagances of the King of Swaziland and his family. This form of activism is remarkable in a country where protest and opposition is quickly squelched by the King, who rules with an iron fist. The Swazi Leaks accounts expose images of lavish parties, designer purchases, and first class trips to LA and New York, complete with security and celebrity encounters, all culled from the social media accounts of the King’s children, wife and other relatives.
Our taxes pay for the king's children to party in Los Angeles in the USA, will we struggle to eat here in #Swaziland. pic.twitter.com/dPxKiZUuRP
— Swazi Leaks (@SwaziLeaks) June 5, 2014
In 3 weeks a "princess" spent over E20,000 on these 3 items. The average Swazi's income for 2yrs 10months #Swaziland pic.twitter.com/9laoUg76AB
— Swazi Leaks (@SwaziLeaks) January 28, 2014
The creators of Swazi Leaks are anonymous, but have spoken to the press about their activism. They recently told The Guardian,
“The message that royalty and their friends live off us, the people, like parasites will spread and be supported by evidence and not rumour. In this we hope that people will start demanding what is due to them.”
They added: “Many, many Swazis think that their lives are the way they are due to forces beyond their control and that the king has their best interests at heart. We hope to show them that this is not necessarily true.”
Interestingly enough, the Swazi Leaks accounts are being followed and observed by individuals who are connected to the government and kingdom of Swaziland. Some even chose to engage Swazi Leaks in heated discussions on Twitter.
In light of events like Ferguson here in the United States, social media has proven integral in activism and bringing the truth to light. Maybe Swazi Leaks will inspire a revolution.
