Trips cost country dearly - Swaziland's King

[dArKeR]

Mbabane - Swaziland's King Mswati III made several costly trips abroad last year leading to a four-million-emalangeni (US$610 316) dent in taxpayers' pockets, a daily reported on Friday.

The costs incurred were only for security and hotel bills run up by Africa's last absolute monarch and his massive entourage, the public accounts committee (PAC) was informed on Thursday.

Principal secretary in the defence ministry Lucy Dlamini told the committee that the Swazi army had budgeted 500 000 emalangeni for the king's trips but ended up spending four million, the Times of Swaziland reported on Friday.

The king usually travels in a chartered plane, whose costs were not included in the figure given by Dlamini - a big amount at a time when the country is struggling with a debt of about $145m.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1541426,00.html

For a period of about 10 years my father experienced the life of an American CEO's and board members 'activities'. The thing I remember most about his stories; 'These guys don't care whether or not the company is going to survive. Even if the company is in terrible finacial condition and/or with no money at all, they're still flying all over the place having their resort meetings and parties on the companies' expense accounts.'