Anonymous citizens from East Africa’s Swaziland, one of the world’s poorest countries, are using a Twitter account called SwaziLeaks to expose the lavish lifestyles of the country’s ruling family.
The Twitter feed started a year ago, according to the Mail & Guardian Africa.
Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III. It’s an absolute monarchy and the crown is hereditary.
Critics say the government stifles dissent by jailing opponents.
“The king has an annual household budget of around $60 million in a country where about 60% of the population live on less than $1 a day,” the Mail & Guardian said.
A Swazileak’s post from June 5 with a photo said: “Our taxes pay for the king’s children to party in Los Angeles in the USA, while we struggle to eat here in #Swaziland.”
The king’s reported personal worth is about $100 million.
“We wanted to try and expose some of the exploitation and corruption of the rich and powerful,” SwaziLeaks told the Mail & Guardian.
The group recently added a Facebook page.
“We get information and pictures from people who know or work for them,” SwaziLeaks said. “We have never told anyone what we do and try and not put anyone in jeopardy due to the information we have.”
