NCEKA CHIEF STOPS LAZWIDE’S BIG EVENT

MBABANE – For the second time in her 10-month reign as Siphofaneni, Member of Parliament (MP) Nomalungelo LaZwide Simelane has been forced to cancel an event in the constituency.

The event, which was supposed to double up as a report-back meeting, is the second one to be stopped by authorities, after the Lubombo Regional Administrations’ Office forced LaZwide to cancel her thanksgiving event in September 2022. The event was supposed to be held at the inkhundla premises but was subsequently held at LaZwide’s church as she was denied access to the premises.

Recording

LaZwide was supposed to host the constituents under Nceka Umphakatsi (Royal Kraal) today. In an audio recording of a phone call made to her by Nceka Inner Council member identified as Indvuna Lencane Vilakati, it transpired that Chief Mlamuli Dlamini had initially given LaZwide permission to host the event before the sudden change of heart. The chief allegedly changed heart after receiving advice from unmentioned people.
The indvuna alleged, in the audio, that he received a call from the chief informing him to alert the MP that the event was not going to happen in the area.

He further alleged that the chief made consultations with different people, including traditional authorities of the last umphakatsi, where LaZwide hosted such a meeting for the electorate. Chief Mshikashika of Engevini Royal Kraal, the last umphakatsi to host the MP’s report-back meeting, allegedly told Chief Mlamuli that LaZwide hosted the meeting without permission. Chief Mshikashika’s assertion allegedly convinced Chief Mlamuli to cancel the event in his area because the MP was not totally honest about the issue of permission. “He was consulting even during the lengthy call I had with him.

“The initial reason I got while trying to engage him on what could be done to save the event was that you were not given permission to host the event you had at Ngevini, which was similar to this one. “He then questioned the honesty of what you told us during our initial meeting: that you received permission at Ngevini and everything went well. “The chief was worried over the matter and subsequently made the decision to call off the event,” said the indvuna to LaZwide. The MP asked Mamba if he was sure that Chief Mshikashika was the one who said she was not granted permission to host the event in his area, and the indvuna affirmed that Chief Mlamuli said he got the information from the chief of Ngevini. After a short pause, LaZwide chuckled at the affirmation and said she was shocked by the allegations that she did not receive permission to host the event in the audio, LaZwide said she accepted the decision of the chief as an elder, even though it was painful for her. She stated that the chief was a father to her, and she expected him to protect her when she was attacked by other people and not take their word against hers.

Decision

“At the end of it all, the decision lies with the chief, and to me, he is an elder and a father, so I would practically not expect him to throw me under the bus without verifying what has been happening beneath him. “What I am trying to do is simply within the rights of the incumbent MP, and I am guided by the principles of the work that the people sent me to do in parliament. When the chief tells me to stop the event, “I do not even see his advisors, but I see him as the one saying it. I do not want to be seen as arguing with you, but I want to take the chief’s command and nothing else,” she said. LaZwide was called to confirm the contents of the audio, and she responded in the affirmative. She averred that the event was called off after the chief instructed Vilakati.

She further stated that she personally met the chief in a prior meeting where she requested permission to meet the electorate and it was granted.
LaZwide said she was shocked to receive the call from Vilakati cancelling the event. “There is a very serious issue behind this, and I think I have received the message loud and clear. “Last week there was an event that was attended by the deputy prime minister through Tinkhundla Minister David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala in the same area, and I was not invited. “As a politician, when other politicians come to my constituency,  I am supposed to be the one welcoming them, but I was sidelined such that not even Indvuna Yenkhundla or Bucopho had the guts to inform me,” she said during an interview.

The indvuna further made allegations that there were people who were campaigning against the MP within the area and had influenced the decision of the chief. He requested that the MP consider the information an off-the-record disclosure to protect his name. The indvuna further stated that the chief said he was going to call the people for a meeting, and the MP was invited to present her report. However, LaZwide questioned the rationale of her reporting back to the people in a meeting organised by the chief. She said, she had her own way of reporting and wanted to appreciate the people for believing in her. LaZwide took over as Siphofaneni MP after her husband, Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane, was expelled from parliament for missing over 20 regulated days of official business in the House of Assembly. Simelane missed the sittings after skipping the country following a warrant of arrest issued against him for allegedly inciting people to revolt against a constitutional government.

Arrested

He was co-accused with Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni Dube. The two MPs were subsequently arrested, denied bail, and found guilty after spending 22 months in jail. They were found guilty of murder charges and counts under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, 2008. Simelane is also the President of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO), a popular political organisation opposed to the current Tinkhundla system of government.

The organisation supports the general election process and vowed to put their members in the August House to fight the system from within the chambers. Efforts to get hold of the chief proved futile as the MP did not have his contact details and Vilakati’s cellphone number was not available on the MTN network, and when the call eventually went through at 6pm yesterday he did not respond.

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