The King Was Delighted!

IT HAPPENED in August 1936. The location was the Swaziland Royal Kraal, or compound. From a sound car, Robert and George Nisbet had just played music recordings followed by recorded talks of Brother J. F. Rutherford. King Sobhuza II was delighted. “Much to our embarrassment,” explained George, “he wanted to buy the transcription machine, records, and Kingdom-message loudspeaker!”

Robert said apologetically that these things were not for sale. Why? Because the equipment belonged to someone else. The King wanted to know who that was.

Robert’s reply was, “It all belongs to another King.” Then Sobhuza asked who this King was. “He is Jesus Christ, the King of God’s Kingdom,” said Robert.

“Oh, he’s a great King,” Sobhuza acknowledged with deep respect. “I don’t want to take anything that belongs to him.”

Robert wrote: ‘I was very much struck with the nature of the Paramount Chief, King Sobhuza. He spoke perfect English without any swank or pride and was absolutely straightforward and approachable. I sat with him in his office for about 45 minutes, while George played music outside.

‘Later that day,’ continued Robert, ‘we called at The Swazi National School where we had the most interesting experience of all. We witnessed to the principal, and he listened readily. When we mentioned the machine and offered to let the whole school hear the recordings, he was delighted and summoned almost a hundred students to sit on the grass to listen. We were told that the high school taught agriculture, gardening, carpentry, building, English, and arithmetic to the boys; the girls were taught nursing, household work, and other useful occupations.’ The Paramount Chief’s grandmother had founded the school.a