The woman was removed from school and taken to a royal guest house by the king's aides. Her mother, Lindiwe Dhamini, was denied access to her daughter and went to court to force the royal family to let her daughter go.

According to the king, Swazi tradition allows him to take as many wives as he chooses.

The king said: "Those who do not understand our culture need to be educated until they understand. There is nothing strange about having 10 brides."

Swazi human rights groups, trade unions and opposition parties see it differently. They say that the practice of abducting girls to marry the king is a human rights violation.

The court's investigation was blocked and pressure was brought to bear on them from the attorney general, sparking fears of a constitutional crisis.

What do you think? Is the tradition acceptable in modern times? Should any monarch be allowed to choose brides in this way?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

Your reaction

The tradition in Swaziland is wrong. It was created at a time when women where considered properties of men. No one in this modern age should tolerate any tradition that disregards the rights of women to choose their sole mates willingly. I applaud Mrs. Lindiwe Dhamini for standing up for her daughter and trying to put an end to this foolishness.
Nmah Yillah Williams, Sierra Leone/USA

The mother of this girl must have known that her daughter was going for the reed dance. Aston Gomo, South Africa

I find it very unusual for the mother of this girl to complain. The king chooses someone from the girls who come to the traditional reed dance. The mother of this girl must have known that her daughter was going for the reed dance. And if she goes for the reed dance and she impresses, the king might pick her. If you are a girl and you do not want to catch the king's eye do not go the ceremony period.
Aston Gomo, South Africa

I think this is a decision for the people who still have monarchy to make. Monarchy is a function of the culture, but it must move with the times. In this era of gender equality, gender mainstreaming, and advocating for Hiv Aids action, the actions of King Mswati are not in line with the times and in fact take our continent back a century. He must be advised to rethink his stance. However, the truth is that we as human rights advocates will not achieve anything if we do not work with the Swazis. If they think that what their King is doing is alright, then who are we to refute? It is all about letting the people decide. Democacy right?
Roselyn, Kenya

Marrying as many wives as the king choses is a fair way of representing all the clans. This tradition is not found in Swaziland but it is seen at work in Buganda Kingdom in Uganda where a bridge is chosen for the king before the actual wife. Those who criticise the tradition should be educated in order to make them understand. Fellow Africans should be proud of our rich tradition. Why listen to our critics in the west who have no respect for our tradition.
Woja Joseph, Perth, Australia

People have there own traditions and the meaning of tradition is what a certain people living together see fit and acceptable, so I am wondering why the west is trying to force what they believe is right on others. Who gives certain people the right to judge other people whom are so different to them? I say tradition could never be wrong or right. If it is wrong to you, it is right to many..
Moti, Somalia

I'd probably go mad with 10 wives Michael, Cork

If it's not against her free will, then how can we possibly complain? Personally I'd probably go mad with 10 wives, but if he's up for it, then fair play to him.
Michael, Cork

This is appalling. Absolute monarchy is never legitimate. It should be either discarded or made into a constitutional monarchy. Then a lot of Swaziland's problems, including Royal ones, will go away, because the people will have a voice.
Christopher, USA

This is another manifestation of corruption in Africa - the abuse of power.
Ernest Merrill, Antigua & Barbuda

The king is manipulating African culture for his own ends Kiti Kitiabi, Kenya

The king and his supporters seem to suggest to the world that the rest of us Africans do not know what African polygamy is and what it entails. I am absolutely furious that the king is manipulating African culture for his own ends and then saying people don't understand the culture. What is there to understand? If an individual who lives in the 21st century does not understand that abducting people is wrong, it is sinful, it is barbaric and it is not African culture.

What is so wrong in the king going to ask for the girls hand in marriage from her parents? The way all other normal Africans do? What is so difficult in going into negotiations with the parents of this girl?
Kiti Kitiabi, Kenya

It will be up to the women of Swazi to make the changes. They should have a vote for or against being one of the ten wives of their Swazi king. The Swazi men should take no part in this voting, this is a woman's prerogative.
Ella Cochrane, Canada

It seems to me that the Swazi King Mswati III is living in the fourteenth century.
Sam Kib, Canada

This tradition is as old as the British monarchy if not older. It has its relevance to the majority of people.
Scotty, Jamaica

The king is well within his rights to take as many wives as he wants Claire Shanley, Scotland

The king is well within his rights to take as many wives as he wants. What is unclear here is if the 18-year-old agrees to the marriage. I have no problem with this kind of arrangement, as long as no one is forced to do anything they don't want to.
Claire Shanley, Scotland

Who are we in the West to comment or criticise these traditions? If they all accept it as normal then what is the problem? I think diversity is good.
Charles, Montreal, Canada

A monarchy which takes advantage of its impoverished subjects in the name of tradition is not worth preserving. It should be abolished hence forthwith.
Farai Mukanya, Belgium

This is wrong. What kind of a message is Mswati sending out to his people in an age when leaders should be educating their citizens on the possible hazards of having multiple sexual partners?
Puso Kedidimetse, Botswana

If this is normal practice in this country and the general population accept it then it is nobody else's business. If the general population does not like it then it is up to them to change it. Most certainly without the interference of outsiders.
John, France

All monarchy is outdated in this day and age. The Royal Family in England is purely symbolic and a waste of many hard earned pounds. I find it hard to believe there are truly functional monarchies left in this world. They must be very good at secluding their own people from world opinion. I don't care what is normal practise to any country, when people are forced by their own government to give up their lives, freedoms, and choices. This is it is everyone's business! If the people in my country shared the opinion of John from France, we would have no country. Instead we would have gone along with everything the monarchy of Great Britian tried to impose upon us.
Branson, USA

For the life of me I cannot understand why any one person or family should have any rights over and above any person and this applies to all countries - even the UK.
Mary Antonelli, USA

Honestly this kind of tradition is barbaric and it will never be accepted anywhere in the world.
Bashir Sule Kofar Sauri, Nigeria

A monarchy that is anything but symbolic is an anachronism. Forcing a teenager to become the bride of the king goes beyond anachronism and nears enslavement. Not every social evil should be allowed to hide behind the phrase "but it's our culture."
Tom, USA