CLAIMS CABINET LOBBIED MPS TO VOTE MADALA FOR DEPUTY SPEAKER

MBABANE – Allegations have surfaced that Members of Parliament (MPs) were lobbied by Cabinet to vote for the new deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly.

The Deputy Speaker is Mhlangatane Member of Parliament (MP) Madala Mhlanga. He was last week Wednesday voted into the position by 34 MPs and he beat Manzini South MP Thandi Nxumalo, who received 16 votes and Kubutha MP Musa Mabuza, who only managed 13 votes. One of the candidates who withdrew from the race was Gilgal MP Sandla Fakudze. However, some of the legislators said the election was just a formality as Mhlanga’s name had long been chosen.

Discuss

The MPs alleged that two Fridays ago, Cabinet met at length to discuss who should be given the position of the deputy Speaker, which was left vacant after Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Security. “There were two names which were presented before Cabinet, which was MP Mhlanga and another returning MP,” alleged one of the MPs, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He said these had been chosen because in most instances the MPs had defended or sided with government whenever certain issues had been raised in the House. The legislators said initially, the MPs were earmarked for Cabinet positions after there was speculation that Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini would make a reshuffle. “However, this did not happen and instead MP Buthelezi and Maphalaleni MP Mabulala Maseko were the only two appointed into the vacant positions in Cabinet,” said the MP.

He alleged  it was then that Cabinet agreed that they would ‘reward’ Mhlanga for being on their side. In response, Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini said Cabinet did not impose decisions on Parliament and as such there was no Cabinet decision to this effect. “It is important to note though that MPs are allowed to lobby each other on any issue before the House,” said Dlamini. He said Cabinet ministers were Members of Parliament and could lobby or be lobbied individually as MPs or senators.

Faceless

Meanwhile, the deputy Speaker said this was news to him and that it was a pity that the people who were making these allegations were faceless.  MP Mhlanga said he was democratically elected last week Wednesday, which was a process that was done through a secret ballot and was transparent for all to see. “But Cabinet does not even reach the number 34, which is the amount of votes I received so where did the others come from?” wondered Mhlanga. It should be noted that ministers who are senators were not allowed to participate in the election. Mhlanga urged whoever was making these allegations to come forward so that they could work together. Asked if he was ready to face the challenge given that he had no previous parliamentary experience, MP Mhlanga said he was ready for the task at hand.

He further said the Constitution did not require the position of the deputy Speaker to have parliamentary experience. “I have been in Parliament for three years and I know the procedures and I will be capable of directing the House,” he said. While the Constitution is silent on whether the deputy Speaker should have parliamentary experience or not, some of the legislators were of the view that the one who replaced Buthelezi should have experience. According to Section 102 (3) of the Constitution, a person shall not be elected Speaker of the House unless they have some parliamentary experience and is otherwise able to maintain order in the House and properly guide the members of the House in the discharge of the business of the House in terms of the Standing Orders.

Dissolution

Meanwhile, Section 103 (2) states that where the office of the deputy Speaker falls vacant at any time before the next dissolution of Parliament, the House may elect as soon as practicable another person to that office. However, one school of thought was of the view that should the Speaker be away then the deputy Speaker presides over that sitting and therefore it should only make sense that the person elected has parliamentary experience. “For example the former deputy Speaker, MP Buthelezi, was in his second term in office when he was elected deputy Speaker and therefore it only makes sense that an experienced person should be deputy,” said one of the MPs. He said from as far as he could recall, a majority of the previous deputy Speakers had some form of experience. These included former Mbabane East MP Esther Dlamini and former Nkilongo MP Trusty Gina.

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