September 26, 2005, 1:40:08
femalefirst
Swaziland's King Mswati III has chosen his 13th wife.
The 37-year-old monarch picked 17-year-old Phindile Nkambule from 4,000 topless virgins, who performed the traditional reed dance for him at Mbangweni, south of Mbabane.
King Mswati will marry the girl when she falls pregnant, in line with tradition. The ruler married his 12th wife in June - less than a month after taking his 11th bride.
The southern African royal wed 18-year-old Nothando Dube after selecting her from a line-up of bare-breasted maidens at the annual Reed Dance.
In May, the 37-year-old monarch married his 21-year-old Noliqwa Ntentesa, who, in accordance with royal tradition, is already carrying the couple's baby.
Like Nothando and Phindile, Noliqwa was selected at a ceremonial dance three years ago. Mswati, Africa's last absolute monarch, is has been slammed by critics for his lavish governmental style while his one million subjects live in poverty.
The unpopular royal owns a fleet of luxury cars, including a $500,000 (£260,000) Maybach, and has spent millions of dollars refurbishing palaces for his many wives.
In contrast, unemployment in the kingdom stands at 40 per cent, while nearly 70 per cent of the country's inhabitants live on less than $1 a day. The King has also been slammed for setting a bad sexual example in a country where nearly 20 per cent of adults are infected with the Aids virus.
