Mbabane, Swaziland  - Swaziland's government on Friday rejected accusations that King Mswati III was ignoring the plight of the poor and vowed a tight security cordon around a lavish birthday/independence celebration that is to be attended by several heads of state.

"Rest assured that nothing is going to happen. There's no way (protestors) are going to get near the stadium," government spokesman Percy Simelane said a day after upwards of 2,000 people took to the streets of the capital Mbabane in protest over spending on the party, and the absence of political freedom.