POOR TURNOUT AT NGWANE PARK; CAMPAIGN CANCELLED

MANZINI – Shame!

The above was an assertion by an official at the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) as one elderly woman cut a lone figure inside a 500 capacity hall as Ngwane Park electorate shunned the organised campaign exercise. The embarrassing situation dispirited the officials led by Returning Officer Zikode Khumalo, who was short of words at the poor turnout. Khumalo was left with no choice but to cancel the campaign exercise as it became apparent that a copy of Eswatini News was the only company that the elderly woman had inside the hall. Khumalo first expressed his disappointment at the poor turnout before referring all comments to the communication department of the commission. “This was a total waste of time and money. We are disappointed as we came here ready to work. However, such things do happen and I don’t think we will return here because there are other imiphakatsi that we still have to attend. Having said that, I can confirm that a resolution to cancel today’s exercise has been made in consultation with the candidates. For any other comment, please contact the communications officer at the headquarters,” he said.  

primary election

Ngwane Park is under Manzini South constituency and 1 120 people voted during the primary elections out of 4 128 registered voters. It could not be determined if the only woman who entered the hall was the only voter that came for the campaign as there were less than ten others outside the venue who did not enter. The candidates and officials from EBC completed the less than 30 people that were at the venue. Some of the candidates expressed their disappointment at the poor turn-out and blamed the candidates who were elected from the constituency for failing to mobilise their voters to attend the campaign exercise. A candidate who requested to speak on condition of anonymity said the poor turnout was a sign of a bigger problem in the constituency. He said it was not possible that in an umphakatsi where over 4 000 people registered, only one can attend and organised campaign. He further lamented the fact that over 1 000 people voted in the primary elections and yet none of those people came to the organised campaign exercise.

something bigger

“There is something bigger than what we see here. I can bet my last cent that if you were to interview the people of Ngwane Park, you would find out a deeper reason why they were not here today. It is either they are aggrieved that people came from outside the area to vote or they are tired of being played,” said the candidate. He stated that the situation was not good for the candidates as they were now expected to work extra hard in their campaign for votes. He said where the people could not come for an organised campaign, it was left at the discretion of the candidate to now go to the people to ask for their vote. “We are now disadvantaged in Ngwane Park because the area has the most voters in the constituency but none came to the campaign. This means we now carry the burden of going to the people to canvass for votes. We have to change the PR strategy and push to get people to come and vote in this umphakatsi. I blame the people who were elected here for all the problems. I am even questioning the over 4 000 who registered here,” he said.

biggest problem

Another candidate said the biggest problem at the umphakatsi were the voters who came from outside Ngwane Park. He said it was difficult for them to attend exercises such as the organised campaign because they were working at the industrial site. The candidate said most of the people who voted at Ngwane Park during the primary elections came in organised transport and it was now showing since they were not able to attend the exercise. “Why would they miss such an exercise if they were from this umphakatsi? I am sure people from this umphakatsi would be keen to know what the other candidates would promise to do for them. This is an opportunity for the people in this area to know almost all the candidates. “I am convinced that the numbers that came here during the primary elections were not from Ngwane Park. We have been to other imiphakatsi in the constituency and the numbers were impressive to show that it was the people from the area that voted. Imiphakatsi like Moneni and Ticancweni proved that there were real voters, not what we see here today,” he added.
Another candidate said the organised campaign was not organised properly because it was happening in the middle of the Trade Fair and other national events.

traditional events

He said most of the electorate were at the Trade Fair, while others were busy with traditional events. EBC Communications Officer Mbonisi Bhembe said such cases were being dealt with according to their different nature. He said he was not going to be able to know what would happen after the failed campaign in Ngwane Park until he received a full report and briefing from the commission. “We know that the same happened at Mjingo High School under the same constituency and the commission resolved that it should be treated as a postponement. I might not know what will happen on this one as we deal with the issues case by case and consider it different merits,” he said. Bhembe further stated that the commission had organised a campaign at Mhobodleni under the same constituency for today.

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