Times Of Swaziland: STOP MPS FROM ELECTING SENATORS - MANGOLOLO

STOP MPS FROM ELECTING SENATORS - MANGOLOLO
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Mmeli Mkhwanazi on 17/10/2023 08:47:00


MBABANE – Mangololo Movement Eswatini has called for the review or abolishment
of the law that allows Members of Parliament (MPs) to elect senators.
This comes in the wake of bribery allegations that have rocked Parliament
following the election of 10 senators by the newly-elected MPs. There are
serious allegations of bribery that have been levelled against both the MPs and
aspiring senators, with some claiming to have paid as high as E900 000 in an
attempt to secure a Senate seat. The allegations are yet to be proven but many
commentators have decried that these have tainted the image of Parliament as a
whole. Mangololo is of the view that Section 94(2) of the kingdom’s
Constitution Act No. 001 of 2005, which allows MPs to elect 10 senators into
Parliament, must be removed. This was said by the organisation’s Secretary
General (SG), Nhlanhla Zwane, amid a series of reports of bribery allegations.
Zwane said it was concerning that the MPs now elected the 10 members of the
upper chamber based on who the highest bidder was, instead of electing the
senators on merit. He rhetorically asked if the newly-elected senators were of
the right calibre to be elected into office. “We can say that the appointed
senators are the ones who are credible as they would not have taken bribes to be
appointed, as compared to the elected senators, who allegedly used money as an
incentive to garner enough votes to be elected,” he claimed.
Appointed
The remaining 20 senators are yet to be appointed by His Majesty King Mswati
III. Zwane said if nothing was done to quell the bribery allegations, it then
meant that for the next five years, Parliament would be led by senators and MPs
who were not credible in the eyes of the masses. “The MPs no longer deserve to
be afforded the opportunity to elect senators because they (allegedly) use that
for their own personal gain, where they think they can recoup monies they spent
during the general elections,” he shared. He further stated that some of the
senators who allegedly bribed their way into Senate wanted to be elected into
the upper house so they could be in a privileged position to influence decisions
that could benefit their personal and business interests.  “If I have E1
million that is clean, I wouldn’t see the need to bribe people simply for a
position that would earn me E60 000 per month. It simply doesn’t make
sense,” he added.
Zwane further mentioned that Mangololo Eswatini Movement would like a review of
this piece of legislation, which should be abolished if some parliamentarians
conducted themselves in such a dishonourable manner. The Mangololo SG
recommended that all the 10 senators be appointed by the King or they be
nominated through other structures from the four regions.
In reaction to the movement’s proposal, an MP from the Lubombo Region said:
“I do not agree with reviewing the section as MPs are the ones who are
representing the 59 constituencies. We are there as representatives and just
because there are MPs who are alleged to have taken the bribes, it does not mean
that we are all corrupt.” Another MP, who is also a businessman, said he was
not sure about reviewing the law which would see MPs not voting for senators.
He, however, said he was aware that there were bribes which were offered to some
of the parliamentarians but he personally did not receive any bribe. Zombodze
Emuva MP Ntando Mkhonta (28) said he opted to vote for individuals by merit,
whom he knew even before the Senate elections.
Preferred
He said he voted for his preferred candidates, whom he knew were fit for office
and would execute what was expected diligently. Nkwene MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini
said he was of the view that Mangololo Eswatini must voice this out at Sibaya
next week Monday, given that this was a constitutional matter. Attorney General
(AG) Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo could not be reached for the better part of
yesterday when contacted for a comment. According to the Constitution where the
composition of Parliament is concerned, Section 94(2) states that 10 senators,
at least half of whom shall be female, shall be elected by the members of the
House in such a manner as may be prescribed by or under any law at their first
meeting so as to represent a cross-section of the Swazi (Eswatini) society.