CONSTITUTION WAS COOKED - NKILONGO MP

LOBAMBA - He recently joined the three MPs calling for change and yesterday, Nkilongo Member of Parliament (MP) Timothy Myeni made an allegation that the country’s Constitution was cooked.

This happened at the House of Assembly during a sitting. As if that was not enough, Myeni was called to withdraw a statement where he labelled the Supreme law of the land a disgrace. Making a submission during the debate of a statement issued by the Prime Minister, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, MP Myeni said in 2003, when he was in Parliament, there was a legislator who said he was once a peacock, but had become a feather duster. He identified the legislator as the late Magwagwa Mdluli, who he said was sharing with his colleagues a picture of how life was. He said Mdluli said no one could be a peacock forever as life changed. He then mentioned that people of his constituency, together with those of Hosea, Ngwempisi and Siphofaneni, were in pain.

Arrested

It should be noted that Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni Dube were recently arrested and charged while Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane’s whereabouts are unknown. Myeni submitted that the people of the four constituency had sent him to state that the PM should know that he would be the last one to be appointed. “They are praying for an elected PM. The PM should know that as he leads the government to the direction where he is directing it, he should do so in a manner that will make him able to campaign for the same position in the near future,” said Myeni. He claimed the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini was a ‘disgrace’.

Problems

“Please can I substantiate? I was here in 2003. The Constitution came here and had some information that was wrong. No wonder it has so many problems. I was here together with some of my colleagues when concerns were raised and the Constitution was taken out of this House. It was taken to another place and when it returned, it had been cooked. I was here,” the MP said. He mentioned that he was in possession of the draft and also the final document. “There were clauses that were changed yet this was not a decision of the House. I was here! I am saying this is painful that when emaSwati of this generation demand to have the same Constitution changed, they are not allowed that opportunity,” he submitted. He said while he appreciated the announcement of a E500 million fund to cater for the damage caused by the recent protests which culminated in looting, vandalism and torching of property, it pained him that not much was said about civilians who died in the process.

Answers

He said the Nkilongo Constituency wanted answers on how the families of the killed civilians would be compensated. Myeni said the fund should not just cater for damaged buildings, but the affected families as they were more important than structures.
“Every person has a right to life. PM talked about arrested MPs. One of them, ‘Magawugawu’, is in exile. “I want to know how the country is handling this issue,” he said. He posed a question whether the State arrested the two MPs having done a thorough investigation or without one. Myeni said had the police thoroughly done their investigations; perhaps the person who ordered that the delivery of petitions be stopped would also be arrested. “I say this because that is where people were incited to riot. “I want to know why COVID-19 was used as an excuse to halt important operations in the country,” the MP submitted. He mentioned that there was no need to halt important operations like debating petitions just because of COVID-19 as it was not known when it would subside.

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