The death sentence was suspended in Swaziland in 1982,...

The death sentence was suspended in Swaziland in 1982, after an international outcry. Swaziland has executed 34 convicted murderers since independence from Britain in 1968. The last person was executed 18 years ago: a mother and prominent businesswoman, Phillipa Mdluli, was hanged for the ritual murder of her domestic worker's daughter, whose body had been mutilated in the mystic belief that certain human flesh carries magical powers. Until now, King Mswati III, aged 31, has developed a reputation for leniency, using official holidays and royal celebrations to commute death sentences to life terms and life terms to 15 or 20 years.