PUDEMO PULLED NO HEIST – 3 MPS

MANZINI – The three Members of Parliament (MPs) who have been vocal in the call for change have disputed that PUDEMO pulled a heist on their quest.

The legislators said this in response to an article by our sister publication, the Times SUNDAY, wherein veteran journalist Bheki Makhubu was quoted as saying he believed that the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) had hijacked the current pursuit for political reforms in the country. The three MPs are Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza from Hosea Constituency, Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane from Siphofaneni Constituency and Mthandeni Dube from Ngwempisi Constituency. To this, the Hosea Constituency MP said, in his understanding, all the people calling for change were in support of what they (MPs) presented in Parliament as legislators. Mabuza said they (three MPs) were calling for change in a manner which the government would be accountable to the people. This, he said, would be achieved by first having an elected PM and an Executive of government that was accountable to the electorate.

He said: “Whoever supports this change is with us. Even if it is a political party, they are with us because they are emaSwati first before they are members of an organisation.” He emphasised that whatever PUDEMO was doing was part of their strategies in the quest to achieve what they were advocating for as representatives of the citizenry in Parliament. Mabuza reiterated that they did not hold the same view as Makhubu with regard that PUDEMO had taken over. He said in this call there was no leader, but it was a quest by the citizenry to achieve an accountable and independent government.

Privileged

“The three MPs he is referring to were privileged to have the platform after they were elected by emaSwati to represent them in Parliament and they raised some of the things the public was seeking. The main goal is to achieve change and that is all that people want, inclusive of political parties,” Mabuza said. The legislator said they (three MPs) and all other political parties in the country and civil society wanted an independent government just like in all other States – that which was accountable to the people. “The government that we are advocating for, just like PUDEMO, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Swaziland and other political parties is one that has power to take decisions independently,” he emphasised. Also, the Ngwempisi Constituency MP, Dube, disputed the insinuation that PUDEMO had taken over what they had initiated. He said people were advocating for what they all wanted.  

Dissenting

He said in most instances, a dissenting voice was not appreciated as people were recently shot and killed for expressing what they wanted. Worth noting is that at the climax of pro-democracy protests a fortnight ago, some protesters were shot and killed as the demonstrations culminated in looting, vandalism and arson. Meanwhile, the Siphofaneni Constituency MP was in unison with his fellow legislators. 

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