Kellogg’s And The King: A Conflict Waiting To Happen?

Swaziland recently had a national holiday to commemorate the sacred Umhlanga or Reed Dance. While the entire country took the day off in respect of culture, one major company continued operations. It is the norm for companies in the kingdom to have a picture of the King, Queen Mother, and Prime Minister hanging at reception. Our sources, however, indicate that there was no such arrangement on KT's premises at the time of compiling this report. Will the king tolerate this any longer?

 

Nude Noodles

The next phase of the Kellogg's Tolaram project involves expansion into a framework that accommodates cornflakes in the production line. Judging from how the company conducts its dealings, we're left wondering if the enterprise will reach that stage of its development. Business is booming for the Foreign Direct Investment, it sure was a couple hundred million Emalangeni well spent. Rosy as things have been, how will KT handle the heat coming it's way?

Corporate responsibility runs deep in the little-known nation of Swaziland. We’re not referring to Muslim-owned businesses that give handouts to the less fortunate as part of their Zakat tax. We are of course talking about the royal responsibility that major companies in the kingdom have. We know SwaziCan has a royal representative living on their property, this person simply sends out a letter requesting fruit cups and juices for Their Majesties.

 

Snack Attack

There’s a lot of dirt in what is supposed to be one of Swaziland’s most promising investments. The Kellogg's Tolaram factory is expected to produce a lot of spin-off companies. It was supposed to improve the supply chain and help boost the logistics industry. Job creation, general economic stimulation; many are the benefits of the multi-million Emalangeni injection. What about ethics though?

 

Their employees are underpaid and they have a dozen lawsuits coming their way; courtesy of some disgruntled former staff. They even registered the company at a suspiciously cheap price, thanks to a lawyer we can only refer to as Mr. Simelane. Since the Tolaram part of the company is Singaporean, there are Asians stationed at the factory to help set everything up before the next phase of the project. We have reason to believe there are factions and there is in-fighting between these Asians, making for a toxic working environment.

 

Since the labor law violations, the questionable registration, and the unfriendly dynamic between staff are of no importance; we wonder about the royal element. Will KT manage to evade the grip of the man with the land in his hands? How long will this stand-off last, and when will the company eventually give in to the royal charm? Will the disrespect be addressed? Leave a comment, share, and FOLLOW FOR MORE ON SWAZILAND!