3 MINISTERS ACCUSED OF CAMPAIGNING WITH RICE FROM TAIWAN

MANZINI - Two ministers are accused of campaigning for the oncoming elections using rice donated by the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The three are Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala and Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harris ‘Madze’ Bulunga. They have been accused of taking advantage of the Taiwan Embassy by allegedly using donated rice to campaign for the upcoming elections. This was an allegation submitted by some Manzini South constituents during the civic and voter education exercise hosted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). It took place at the Manzini Nazarene High School Hall yesterday. Some of the constituents were of the view that certain ministers were taking advantage of their term in office now to engage in campaigning exercises with food parcels (rice) donated by the Taiwan Embassy. They asked the EBC to do something about this, as they felt it was offside.

Sibusiso Dlamini first highlighted that he was aware that campaigning was only permitted in the secondary elections. He questioned how a candidate could be voted for without properly introducing himself; his educational background, as well as economic policies in the primary elections. He queried how they were supposed to nominate people they did not know.  “Another thing, the EBC declared that campaigning is not allowed at this stage but we see the Taiwan Embassy is going up and down with some ministers such as Madze, ‘Cruiser’ and Phila Buthelezi, distributing rice parcels to constituents, much against your directivce,” Dlamini alleged.

The constituent further supposed that the EBC was quiet amid the ‘campaigns’ by the said ministers. On another note, he enquired how the EBC ensured fair voting in prison. The constituent alluded to that there were no people (bogalajane), who were present in Correctional facilities to ensure that voting was done fairly without officers influencing inmates to vote for a particular person.  Another constituent purported that the ministers were campaigning because they were all along not distributing the parcels but were seemingly doing so in the past two months. He alleged that they were using their power in office to push their campaigns because no one could call them to order.  He was supported by another member, who supposed that the ministers were using the remaining time they had to solicit votes from constituency members.

Allegations

When drawn for comment, Minister Ngcamphalala disputed the allegations, stating that such did not hold water. Ngcamphalala said the embassy did not only single out ministers but was giving out donations to everyone. The minister articulated that as far as he was concerned, people who were in office were not campaigning but only serving their mandate. “We are not campaigning but doing our job. A person in office is not campaigning but it is the one who is not in office, as he or she is still aspiring to be elected, (who can be said to be campaigning). Otherwise we are only doing our job,” Ngcamphalala reiterated.  Meanwhile, Minister Buthelezi wondered if Taiwan only offered donations to ministers. He chose not to comment on the allegations. “I cannot be part of politics without direction. I wouldn’t want to entertain any rubbish, let alone involve an independent country in cheap politics, I don’t think it would be fair. So I don’t have anything to say in this,” Buthelezi said. Minister Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga said for the record, the rice donation had always been there for the past five years to every MP who requested such from the embassy.

Items

“They have always assisted us with other items such as walking sticks for the elderly and wheelchairs. There is no harm in asking for such and distributing to the needy of my constituency. The last donation to Mbabane East Inkhundla was on November 3, 2022 and it’s not for campaigning because I gave it to bucopho and indvuna to distribute in the four imiphakatsi,” he said. In response, EBC Education Facilitator Vusumuzi Mdluli said they were not certain that the ministers were campaigning. He said as long as they did not declare by word of mouth, requesting for people’s votes, then they could not be deemed as campaigning.

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