SENATORS FEAR PARTIES WANT TO ‘BUY’ BUCOPHO

LOBAMBA – Everybody has a price.

This notion came to life in the Senate chambers yesterday as legislators deliberated on the fears that political formations are plotting to plant bucopho and then use them to influence the electorate to vote for people who are affiliated to the political formations. Although the deliberations about the political formations’ intended plans were part of an informal conversation that the senators had before official business of the Senate commenced, it had influence on the resolutions taken thereafter. The senators had initially okayed the election of bucopho at the primary elections, contrary to an amendment by the House of Assembly to have the bucopho elected in the secondary elections just like the Member of Parliament and indvuna yenkhundla.

However, after learning of the alleged plot by political formations to use bucopho to put their trusted individuals in Parliament, the senators had a change of heart.This was a during a motion by Senator Isaac Magagula to move that Senate adopts the report of the portfolio committee of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The Bill was eventually adopted with amendments.

conversation

Prior to the official business of the day, the legislators had the conversation which was centred around dismantling the alleged plot by the political formations to have it their way through manipulating the bucopho, using money, to buy them into their idea and have them influence the electorate to vote for their preferred candidates, who would push their mandate in Parliament. One of the legislators emphasised that if they allowed for bucopho to be voted for in the primary elections, they would be playing a huge role in enhancing the political formations’ plot as that would mean the bucopho have powers and influence going to the secondary elections. “We have to see to it that the Bill is amended to say bucopho are voted for in the secondary elections otherwise if we give the green light to them being elected in the primary elections, we would be selling the country,” said one of the legislators.

The report of the Bill on its amendments, which was motivated by Magagula as the Chairperson of the portfolio committee, initially stated that the amendment that proposed that electoral positions of bucopho alongside other positions should after nomination at primary level proceed to campaign at secondary level, could not be sustained. “This amendment could not be sustained because there was no clear and plausible explanation as to why the status quo (prevailing provision and practice) should be changed and what value and development such would bring to the electoral system,” read the report. However, that amendment was reversed and the report was adopted with the same consensus taken in the House of Assembly that bucopho, together with the MP and indvuna yenkhundla, will be all elected at the secondary stage of the elections.

Making his submissions on the Bill, Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko said bucopho was a very influential person who represented the whole umphakatsi. He shared that a lot could go wrong if the person elected to take that position was not one with the interest of the people at heart and the five-year duration in office could prove to be a disaster. “It is true that previously, bucopho was elected at primary elections but some of them were abusing their power to influence the voters to go for people desired by them (bucopho). Kunabochakijane out there who are looking to use their financial power to manipulate the bucopho and the latter will be availing themselves to be bought because we all need money. These people have their ulterior motives which would hurt the whole elections process,” he said. Senator Chief Ngalonkhulu, when motivating for the adoption of the report, highlighted the same issue, stating that having all three portfolios voted for in the secondary stage was the way to go, to avoid having the bucopho used by people with money to achieve their ulterior motives.
Senator Isaac Magagula, the mover of the motion, also nodded to the amendment.

He stated that it was previously not well articulated but it was making perfect sense now that the legislators were bringing forward the dangers associated with having the bucopho elected in the primary elections. Magagula further highlighted that another important and welcome development in the piloted amendments of the current electoral legislation was the recognition and provision on equitable quota for nomination of women, youth or person with disabilities. “While this was appreciated and welcome and long overdue, the Senators sustained the amendment but went to underscore the need to operationalise it through regulations to facilitate practical implementation so that this amendment may see the light of day and not just exist on paper,” he shared in the report.

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