MBABANE: As WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange prepares to end a two-year forced stay at Ecuador’s London embassy, he may take comfort in knowing he inspired resistance to secrecy in places as far away as Swaziland.

In this small African kingdom a group of citizens have started a social media movement called “SwaziLeaks”, which aims to expose the lavish lifestyles of the country’s ruling royals.

SwaziLeaks members — who refuse to say who or where in Swaziland they are, for fear of being targeted — started a Twitter feed a year ago.

They regularly post photos of royals purportedly abroad: partying in Los Angeles, enjoying a luxurious suite at London’s Heathrow airport or at other opulent locations.

“We wanted to try and expose some of the exploitation and corruption of the rich and powerful,” SwaziLeaks said.

Swaziland is an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III.

The government is frequently accused of stifling dissent and jailing opponents.

The king has an annual household budget of around $60 million in a country where about 60 per cent of the population live on less than $1 a day.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014