MP SIMOSAKHE: WHY I SNUBBED PARLY OPENING

SITEKI – He intentionally snubbed the official opening of Parliament.

That is Mtsambama Member of Parliament (MP) Simosakhe Shongwe, who made this known  when interviewed about his absence during the official opening of the 4th session of the 11th Parliament on Friday by His Majesty King Mswati III. He said he snubbed the event because he was not happy that “we continue to attend events as if all is well, yet there are MPs who are still incarcerated with no clear reasons as to why they were still in jail.” Shongwe is one of the MPs who are calling for change and he made it known that he was in solidarity with the incarcerated MPs. The incarcerated MPs are Hosea’s Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Ngwempisi’s Mthandeni Dube, who have been charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008. The Mtsambama MP said he did not attend the event due to the fact that he was in solidarity with the arrested MPs. He emphasised that as long he was alive, his call for political reforms would not stop because he, together with others, were sent by their electorate to do so.

Voices

He said their voices and call for an elected prime minister (PM) by the people would one day be heard, even though he could not pre-empt the time but eventually, the will of the people would prevail. The legislator added that he could not be part of the official opening of Parliament due to the fact that the MPs who were calling for political reforms were not happy and there was nothing pleasing about their arrest. He further mentioned that he would ensure that their voices would be heard, as he and other MPs had been delegated by the oppressed emaSwati to be their voice on this matter. “We won’t be happy as long as there are no clear reasons given regarding their arrest. As long as emaSwati are still oppressed, we will continue to make our call loud and clear because it was the people who elected us that are calling for that. We will continue to debate the issue in Parliament,” he said.

His counterpart at Lomahasha, Ndumiso Masimula, said even though he attended the event, there was a need to put pressure on government so that the incarcerated MPs were released.
Masimula said there was a need for a collective arrangement among MPs on the matter when it was debated in Parliament. “I was present during the Parliament opening but there is a need to put pressure on government to release the arrested MPs and this should be a collective mandate. We will pursue the call for political reforms,” he said. Gilgal MP Sandla Fakudze, politely declined to comment on this matter. Fakudze was asked if he had also snubbed the official opening of Parliament considering the fact that he was one of the MPs calling for political reforms. “Let me politely ask not to comment on the matter,” he briefly said.

Another MP Manzi Zwane of Nhlambeni Inkhundla, did not answer calls after several attempts for the better part of yesterday. He had not responded to text and WhatsApp messages sent to him at time of compiling this report. The MP is also one of those who are calling for political reforms in the country. On the other hand, Nkilongo MP Timothy Myeni also did not respond to a text and Whatsapp messages after countless calls were made to his mobile phone. When contacted after church, he asked that he be contacted after a few minutes as he was at a pharmacy. However, when called later, he did not answer his mobile phone. The Whatsapp messages blue-ticked, indicating that he had read them.

Asked

He had been asked what prevented him from not attending the Parliament opening event. Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze, when also sought for comment, could not be reached as his mobile phone rang unaswered. He also did not respond to Whatsapp messages. He had been asked what the reason for not showing up during the official opening of Parliament was.
House of Assembly Speaker Petros Mavimbela said he was not aware that there were some Members of Parliament (MPs) who did not show up during the official opening of the 4th session of 11th Parliament on Friday. He, however, mentioned that he was yet to get a full report on those who attended and those who did not attend. Mavimbela further asked not to commit himself on the action to be taken against those who snubbed Parliament and failed to report their absence.

The speaker was asked if he was aware that there were some MPs who snubbed the event and further asked what action would be taken against them. “I am yet to look into the matter as I didn’t know there were MPs who did not attend the event. I will be able to give a full response tomorrow (today) about this matter and what action will be taken against them,” he briefly said. Meanwhile, the MPs who openly came out and supported the call for political reforms are Shongwe (Mtsambama), Masimula (Lomahasha), Fakudze (Gilgal), Myeni (Nkilongo), Zwane (Nhlambeni), Mabuza (Hosea), Dube (Ngwempisi) and former Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi ‘Magawugawu’ Simelane, who is in exile.

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