Times Of Swaziland: POOR TURNOUT AT NGWANE PARK; CAMPAIGN CANCELLED

POOR TURNOUT AT NGWANE PARK; CAMPAIGN CANCELLED
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Mhlonishwa Motsa on 10/09/2023 17:42:00


MANZINI – Shame!
The above was an assertion by an official at the Elections and Boundaries
Commission (EBC) as one elderly woman cut a lone figure inside a 500 capacity
hall as Ngwane Park electorate shunned the organised campaign exercise. The
embarrassing situation dispirited the officials led by Returning Officer Zikode
Khumalo, who was short of words at the poor turnout. Khumalo was left with no
choice but to cancel the campaign exercise as it became apparent that a copy of
Eswatini News was the only company that the elderly woman had inside the hall.
Khumalo first expressed his disappointment at the poor turnout before referring
all comments to the communication department of the commission. “This was a
total waste of time and money. We are disappointed as we came here ready to
work. However, such things do happen and I don’t think we will return here
because there are other imiphakatsi that we still have to attend. Having said
that, I can confirm that a resolution to cancel today’s exercise has been made
in consultation with the candidates. For any other comment, please contact the
communications officer at the headquarters,” he said.
primary election
Ngwane Park is under Manzini South constituency and 1 120 people voted during
the primary elections out of 4 128 registered voters. It could not be determined
if the only woman who entered the hall was the only voter that came for the
campaign as there were less than ten others outside the venue who did not enter.
The candidates and officials from EBC completed the less than 30 people that
were at the venue. Some of the candidates expressed their disappointment at the
poor turn-out and blamed the candidates who were elected from the constituency
for failing to mobilise their voters to attend the campaign exercise. A
candidate who requested to speak on condition of anonymity said the poor turnout
was a sign of a bigger problem in the constituency. He said it was not possible
that in an umphakatsi where over 4 000 people registered, only one can attend
and organised campaign. He further lamented the fact that over 1 000 people
voted in the primary elections and yet none of those people came to the
organised campaign exercise.
something bigger
“There is something bigger than what we see here. I can bet my last cent that
if you were to interview the people of Ngwane Park, you would find out a deeper
reason why they were not here today. It is either they are aggrieved that people
came from outside the area to vote or they are tired of being played,” said
the candidate. He stated that the situation was not good for the candidates as
they were now expected to work extra hard in their campaign for votes. He said
where the people could not come for an organised campaign, it was left at the
discretion of the candidate to now go to the people to ask for their vote. “We
are now disadvantaged in Ngwane Park because the area has the most voters in the
constituency but none came to the campaign. This means we now carry the burden
of going to the people to canvass for votes. We have to change the PR strategy
and push to get people to come and vote in this umphakatsi. I blame the people
who were elected here for all the problems. I am even questioning the over 4 000
who registered here,” he said.
biggest problem
Another candidate said the biggest problem at the umphakatsi were the voters who
came from outside Ngwane Park. He said it was difficult for them to attend
exercises such as the organised campaign because they were working at the
industrial site. The candidate said most of the people who voted at Ngwane Park
during the primary elections came in organised transport and it was now showing
since they were not able to attend the exercise. “Why would they miss such an
exercise if they were from this umphakatsi? I am sure people from this
umphakatsi would be keen to know what the other candidates would promise to do
for them. This is an opportunity for the people in this area to know almost all
the candidates. “I am convinced that the numbers that came here during the
primary elections were not from Ngwane Park. We have been to other imiphakatsi
in the constituency and the numbers were impressive to show that it was the
people from the area that voted. Imiphakatsi like Moneni and Ticancweni proved
that there were real voters, not what we see here today,” he added.
Another candidate said the organised campaign was not organised properly because
it was happening in the middle of the Trade Fair and other national events.
traditional events
He said most of the electorate were at the Trade Fair, while others were busy
with traditional events. EBC Communications Officer Mbonisi Bhembe said such
cases were being dealt with according to their different nature. He said he was
not going to be able to know what would happen after the failed campaign in
Ngwane Park until he received a full report and briefing from the commission.
“We know that the same happened at Mjingo High School under the same
constituency and the commission resolved that it should be treated as a
postponement. I might not know what will happen on this one as we deal with the
issues case by case and consider it different merits,” he said. Bhembe further
stated that the commission had organised a campaign at Mhobodleni under the same
constituency for today.