Times Of Swaziland: I AM NOT BITTER - ESTHER

I AM NOT BITTER - ESTHER
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  BY NTOMBI MHLONGO on 28/08/2018 08:33:00


MBABANE – “I am not bitter.” Her exit in the ongoing national elections
last Saturday has been the talk of town in the past few days but former Mbabane
East Member of Parliament Esther Dlamini, insists she is not bitter.
Dlamini shockingly crashed out of the elections after losing to teacher and
former Sihlangu Semnikati Head Coach Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga. Bulunga
recorded a landslide victory after amassing 1 494 votes while the former
legislator could only manage 736.
“I am not bitter about losing in the Primary Elections because I feel it is an
achievement that God gave me the opportunity to be in Parliament for three
terms, where I even served as deputy Speaker twice,” she said.
She said she was proud that in the three consecutive terms in Parliament, she
worked hard and exited on a clean slate and was never found to have committed
any crime.
According to Dlamini, she conducted herself in an appropriate manner while in
Parliament and never broke the law or engaged in corrupt acts.
“My heart is at peace because there was never a time where I was accused of
using resources illegally. I was never at any point arrested for any criminal
act. Ngiphume ephalamende anginabala,” she said in vernacular which means,
“I came out clean”.
Elaborating, she said even when there was an investigation into her work, she
came out clean as investigators cleared her name.
Asked if she would consider giving the election another try after the five
years, she said she would not say anything for now as she did not know what the
future holds for her.
Encouraging
“It will depend on how I feel. For now, I think I am okay but you never know
what might happen as time goes on. Already, some people are encouraging me to
set sights on the female candidates who will be elected in terms of the Election
of Women Members to the House of Assembly Act, 2018 but I am still thinking
about it,” she said.
She explained that there was also no way in which she would rejoin her employer,
the Royal Eswatini Police Service, due to her age.
Even though she did not divulge her age, the mandatory retirement age for civil
servants is 60.