This archive report was first published on 29 June 2021.
Published on June 29, 2021, Eswatini's King Mswati III has reportedly fled the kingdom amidst escalating pro-democracy protests.
Protests turned chaotic on Monday evening, with Eswatini's leading chain store, OK Foods, located in Matsapha, and other outlets set on fire.
Police used teargas and live ammunition to disperse demonstrators in at least 10 different places, marking a significant threat to the monarch's rule.
King Mswati III has ruled Eswatini as an absolute monarch since 1986, appointing the prime minister, ministers, judges, and civil servants.
Protesters are demanding multi-party democracy and the right to elect their own Prime Minister, a call that has been met with resistance from the government, which has banned political parties since 1973.
"We demand multi-party democracy now," protester Melusi Dlamini told News24. "The time for the royal system characterised by dictatorship is over."
