The King of Swaziland, King Mswati III has declared that men in his country are required to marry a minimum of five wives or go to jail.
The King’s statement called for all men in the country to marry at least five wives. He assured the men that government would pay for the marriage ceremonies and buy houses for them.
He said: “Here’s the deal, marry at least five wives and you’re assured that the government will pay for the marriage ceremonies and buy houses for them.”
King Mswati warned that anybody (man or woman) who opposes the decision “will face a life sentence”.
The order aims to make sure that every woman gets a husband as it is widely believed that men taking more wives will help women get husbands.
The monarch made it known that there are more women than men in Swaziland which he noted was a very serious problem for a country known to be full of virgins.
According to reports, the decision came following the increasing number of virgins and scarcity of men in Swaziland.
The King himself has 15 wives and 25 children, while his father and predecessor married more than 70 wives and gave birth to over 150 children.
