King Mswati of Swaziland has denied ordering the men in his country to marry more than one wife or face imprisonment.
According to a statement issued by the government on Monday and signed by its spokesperson, Percy Simelane, and available on Bulawayo24.com, the government said the issue was never discussed.
The statement blamed the Zambia Observer newspapers for the report, asking it to substantiate its claim.
Part of the statement read, “In the wake of several poisonous reports published in some foreign newspapers, social media platforms and other forums purported to be an official statement by His Majesty, King Mswati III, Government wishes to state the following:
“The current dispatch titled ‘Marry more wives or face jail,’ quoting the King is not only an insult to the monarchy but a disgrace to journalism.
“His Majesty has not made any pronouncement to that effect and it has never been an issue raised by Emaswatini.”
The reports alleged that King Mswati had ordered that men in the country should marry more than one wife by June or face jail terms.
The reports have since gone viral on social media.