Senteni Masango, the 8th wife of King Mswati III of Swaziland, has died after committing suicide. Reports say she was found dead in the early hours of Friday morning.
Sources close to her have revealed how unhappy she was with her treatment in the royal household.
Senteni Masango overdosed on about 40 amytriptyline capsules barely a week after the burial of her sister Nombuso Masango. Amitriptyline, which is sold under the brand name Elavil, among others, is a medicine primarily used to treat a number of mental illnesses.
It is believed that she had been suffering from depression and last week had been banned by the royal court from attending the funeral of her sister.
An order was given by the king which prevented her from attending her late sister’s memorial service nor the funeral. Lately she has lived alone for over three years in a big mansion with not a single visit from her husband, the king.
The king’s right hand-man, Khandlela Mdluli, could not be reached for comment as his phone rang unanswered.
Last year in September, the king officially unveiled a new bride, Siphelele Mashwama (19), the daughter of a Swaziland Cabinet minister, Jabulile Mashwama. She became his fourteenth wife, though some have left him. Further reports claim he now has 15 wives.
Mswati has been criticized by the media for living a lavish lifestyle while his people starve. In the 2014 national budget, parliament allocated $61 million for the king’s annual household budget, while 63% of Swazis live on less than $1.25 per day.
Following criticism of his purchase of luxury cars, including a $500,000 Maybach, he banned the photography of his vehicles. According to the Forbes 2009 list of the World’s 15 Richest Royals, King Mswati is worth a reported $200 million.
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