DPM MUST LEAVE ME ALONE – MP LAZWIDE

MBABANE – Siphofaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Nomalungelo LaZwide Simelane has told the DPM, Themba Masuku, where to get off.

She was of the view that the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Masuku, was undermining her because she was a woman. MP Simelane was responding to Masuku’s sharp criticism of her absence from the official opening of the last session of the 11th Parliament, where His Majesty King Mswati III delivered the Speech from the Throne.
Masuku had said, during an interview with the Times of Eswatini, that Simelane was arrogant in her reasons for deliberately missing last Friday’s event. He accused Simelane of having failed to live up to the oath she had taken - to pay allegiance to His Majesty King Mswati III, his heirs and successors.

The DPM had also wanted to know from Simelane whether she was serious about representing the people who elected her or she was doing things according to what her husband said. Simelane, who is wife to Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) President Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane, retorted by saying the DPM’s comments were defamatory to her. “Akangicolele nje lomuntfu lomdzala. Akaphume kimi,” said Simelane, interpreted as: “This old man must leave me alone.”  

Simelane said she found the utterances made by the DPM to be a personal attack on her character and reiterated that the DPM had exceeded his limits. “I was never taught that the DPM upholds the parliamentary code of conduct,” said MP Simelane. She stated that to her, the most arrogant leader was the one who banned peaceful petition deliveries that led to ugly massacre of people, including children and women. Following the DMP’s statement that MPs who did not show up in Parliament were expected to give reasons for missing the big day, Simelane said she was never told that she was answerable to the DPM or the Executive.

Undermining

“It is the Speaker who could probably ask that question, not an appointed Member of Parliament. I think umuntfu lomdzala is acting outside the boundaries of the executive and stepping on the separation of powers and is undermining the Speaker. He is out of order,” stated the Siphofaneni MP. She said DPM’s assertions of insinuating  that she was doing what her husband told her to do and that she had sidelined the people who elected her, was not only undermining her but also defamatory as there was no sound basis behind such. She said this was not a fair comment, coming from the DPM.

She argued that for a veteran politician like the DPM to utter such words, was undermining her, just because she was woman. She then accused him of actually looking down upon women because he felt they were not capable enough, unless there was a man involved.

Undermines

“Surely, his sense of reasoning undermines the very same efforts of gender parity. My husband never stood for and won the recent elections, but I did. If he has an issue with my husband, he should address himself to him. My husband still uses the same old WhatsApp number. I think he is capable enough to handle him,” she narrated.
She then made emphasis on the fact that the DPM had no authority over MPs. She said other MPs were currently in prison and could not represent their constituencies because the government had arrested them.

“If there is someone who must be reminded about the electorate, it is the DPM, who has denied the people of Ngwempisi and Hosea the right to be represented by the people they elected into Parliament,” highlighted Simelane.
Furthermore, the Siphofaneni MP accused the DPM of being a gossiper. She said she thought he was old enough not to associate himself with anything which was a lie.

Respectable

“Babe DPM bengitsi ngumuntfu lomdzala longeke umhlanganise nenhlebo.  I never knew that even respectable people like him can be so petty and become active rumour mongers. I am sorry I was elected by the people of Siphofaneni, bengingakatjelwa nga DPM in my constituency,” said Simelane. Above all, the Siphofaneni MP said she never knew that the government viewed the elections as a means to get groceries.

The issue of gossip mongering and groceries was raised by the MP after the DPM had said; “Some of the people in her political camp told us that her plan to get into Parliament was to raise money for groceries.” In this regard, Simelane said Masuku’s assertions seemed to suggest that the elections were a sham and also hijacked for personal reasons. “It sounds so weird for a proponent of the same system to view the elections in this manner. Typical of appointees, though - detached from the pain of the people,” she said.

Simelane said she heard Masuku suggesting that she would not be going to Parliament. She said the DPM might have been dreaming when he heard her saying such. “He doesn’t scare me at all,” stated Simelane. Worth noting is that MPs such as Timothy Myeni of Nkilongo inkhundla, Simelane of Siphofaneni and Manzi Zwane of Nhlambeni, did not show up for the State opening of Parliament last Friday.

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