In these times of economic slowdown, it is normal for every politician to think of the various measures required to slowdown the slowdown. Same was the idea of a Swaziland Member of Parliament but it was not very conventional to say the least.

He asked the government to impose more taxes on traditional healers and soothsayers in Swaziland, the only absolute monarchy in Africa.

The spiritualists are very popular in the landlocked nation of southern Africa, known popularly as the sangomas. They have an annual licence fee of just $1.15.

MP Majahodvwa Kumalo who identified that they had increased their service fares at least 400% in the last few years, they should have more taxes levied on them.

"A majority of our people consult traditional healers but the money they pay to government falls far too short of the money they make," he said at the Parliament.

The economy had a deficit that rose to 15% of the total annual economy output in 2010 which the government had managed to tackle by utilizing the central bank reserves and holding up the payment of wages to civil servants.

A bailout was not launched by the International Monetary Fund IMF due to non-cooperation from Kind Mswati III to curtail royal and military spending. The king himself has at least a dozen wives and a wealth that would amount to over $200 million.

(AW- Anil)