EX-MINISTERS, MPS ‘HUSTLE’ FOR SENATE SEATS

LOBAMBA – As 69 candidates dressed the part and attended Parliament to be sworn in yesterday, former politicians, including those who were Cabinet ministers and MPs, were on a different mission.

The mission was to openly ‘hustle’ and fiercely garner support from the newly-elected Members of Parliament (MPs) just so they could secure seats at Senate.Indeed, they braved the heat and tried to  lure the new MPs to support them in their mission. As per the provisions of the Constitution of 2005, about 10 candidates will secure seats at Senate by virtue of being voted for by the MPs. From as early as 9am, some of the former legislators were already moving up and down the premises of Parliament engaging with the newly-elected MPs.

Engaging

One of the notable former politicians was Lizzie Nkosi, who held the position of Minister of Health in the previous government.
Throughout the day, she was seen engaging with some of the new MPs and even spent some time sitting inside the gallery, while the swearing-in was being conducted.

Nkosi is not new to securing a seat at Senate as she achieved it with the previous Parliament, after which she was appointed a Cabinet minister.
Also spotted was former Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza, who could not be missed as she strategically spent most of her time standing right at the entrance of Parliament and would now again engage with new MPs as they either came in or out.

It was gathered that Mabuza was in fact seeking support to be nominated for the position of Speaker. The Constitution of 2005 allows for people from outside the elected and appointed 69 MPs from participating in the election for the position of Speaker and deputy Speaker.This means that the MPs are allowed to nominate them.

Eligible

In particular, the Supreme law of the land provides that the candidate to be elected as Speaker or deputy can either be from inside or outside the House of Assembly and must have parliamentary experience, which makes Mabuza eligible. It should be noted that by virtue of having lost the elections after being elected under the Mafutseni Inkhundla, Mabuza is not eligible to stand for the Senate elections. This is based on a judgment issued by the Supreme Court last Thursday, where it granted government’s appeal against the findings of the High Court, constituted as a Constitutional Court, that Section 5 (3) of the Senate Election Act No.7 of 2013 was unconstitutional.

In the judgment, the Supreme Court declared that if the people have rejected a candidate at primary level, there should be no room for that individual to wiggle his or her way into Parliament via the Senate election process. Meanwhile, also eager to garner support from the new MPs was another former Minister of Health, Sibongile Simelane, who openly declared to the media that she had come for the same mission.

Mission

Simelane minced no words in confirming to Eswatini News that her mission was to be part of the 10 elected women senators. “It is an open secret that my mission here today is to campaign for votes so that I can win a Senate position. We are happy to see all the MPs present here because this is giving us the chance to canvass for Senate votes, there is no reason to even hide that,” she said. Simelane stated that she has worked in the 2013-2018 Parliament term, where she gained enough experience of Parliament procedures and expectations.

“For me, it is not about securing the Senate seat and then keeping quiet, but supporting the MPs all the way. For instance, I used to support youth soccer tournaments during December time and this is something I will do again if elected to Senate. I also used to support cultural events during my previous term and I will continue doing so even this time around,” she said.

Support

Simelane pledged to support MPs who would vote for her to win a Senate seat, in times of need. “The MPs know what to do and I trust that they will not forget that we come a long way. One thing for sure is that I will stay loyal to those who are loyal to me,” she assured. Former Manzini North Member of Parliament (MP) Macford Sibandze was also visible inside and outside the chambers. In a brief interview, he did not hide the fact that he was campaigning for a Senate position, but admitted that it would not be easy.

“Winning a Senate seat is never automatic because you have to rely on support from other people. It then becomes a ‘sit and hope’ situation, but yes, I am interested in the Senate seat,” Sibandze said, who has held two terms as Manzini North MP. It has been previously reported that MPs are demanding not less than E35 000 for votes from Senate hopefuls. When some of the MPs were questioned about this, some confirmed to have been flooded with offers in exchange for votes. There are claims that some of the MPs have already been paid for the votes, with one believed to have received E40 000 from an aspiring Senator.

Aspiring

“Look, becoming a senator requires proper funds and if you are living on a shoe-string budget, forget about being a senator because that seat is certainly not for the poor. I have already received three different offers from aspiring senators and one is even promising E60 000. The next days will be defining because it is a dog-eat-dog battle for a Parliament seat,” he said. Parliament Clerk Benedict Xaba, however, cautioned the MPs to read the regulations related to the Senate elections. This was after he confirmed that the election of Senate President and Deputy would be held at a later date.
“The procedure is that the House of Assembly Speaker and Deputy first have to receive the blessing of the King as head of State before they can assume their duties, which would pave way for the Senate elections. Legislators will be informed when this will take place in due time,” Xaba assured.

It was initially anticipated that the Senate elections would be held soon after the House of Assembly Speaker and deputy were elected but this was later clarified by the Parliament clerk. Unconfirmed reports are suggesting that other formers senators including former National Football Association of Eswatini (EFA) President Adam ‘Bomber’ Mthethwa are also running for a Senate seat. This was confirmed by an MP who stated that he would definitely be voting for Mthethwa.

“He is a seasoned politician and would add value in the house of Senate. He has approached me for a vote and I will gladly give it to him,” the MP, who is from the Hhohho Region, said. Mthethwa could not be immediately reached for comment at the time of compiling this report last night.   
The publication is also aware of other well-known high profile people who have requested the MPs to support them, however, they cannot be named as they have not agreed to declare publicly.

Popular

They included popular businessmen and businesswomen, sports personalities and retired educators.  Meanwhile, the Constitution of 2005, in Section 94 provides that the Senate shall consist of not more than 30 members who shall be elected or appointed in accordance with the section. About 10 of the senators, at least half of whom shall be female, shall be elected by the members of the House in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law at their first meeting so as to represent a cross-section of the Swazi society.

The other 20 senators, at least eight of whom shall be female, shall be appointed by His Majesty King Mswati III, acting in his discretion after consultation with such bodies as the King may deem appropriate. The system of government for Swaziland (Eswatini) is a democratic, participatory, Tinkhundla-based system, which emphasises devolution of state power from central government to tinkhundla areas and individual merit as a basis for election or appointment to public office.

Meanwhile, the whole swearing-in ceremony turned the Parliament into a beehive of activity. The MPs started arriving at around 9am, some with their spouses or family members. They were ushered in by Parliamentary staff to a small spot where they were all given a chance to pose for photographs.

Procedures

After doing the photoshoot, the MPs were ushered into a marquee where they not only enjoyed their meal, but were then taken through the procedures of what was expected of them inside the House where the swearing-in was to take place. About 10 minutes before 10am, it was announced that they should all be ushered inside the House in preparation for the start of the business of the day. Once inside, they were welcomed by the Clerk to Parliament, Benedict Xaba, who then explained how they were to be sworn in and what the oath meant to each one of them.

The Attorney General, Khumalo, joined in to do his task of conducting the swearing-in. He also reiterated the importance of the exercise to the MPs.
The first to be sworn in was appointed MP and former Minister of Housing and Urban Development Prince Simelane. Dressed in a brownish suit, the prince was in his usual jovial self as he smiled throughout while holding the Bible.

Next to be sworn in was appointed MP Princess Lindiwe, who is the former Minister of Home Affairs. She was followed by appointed MP Prince Lindani, who was also smiling as he held the Holy Bible. Other princes and princesses followed suit after chiefs also got their chance.
The swearing-in ceremony was fast and took about two hours. When it ended, the new MPs were allowed to take a break in readiness for the election of the Speaker and Deputy.

The time for the all-important election came and there was a slight delay with some MPs seen walking out one by one to have conversations outside.
It was gathered that some of them who had planned to elect Mhlangatane MP Madala Mhlanga were now confused as they had heard their colleagues discussing that Pigg’s Peak MP Jabulani Mabuza should be the one taking the hot seat.

Problem

Some of the MPs, it should be noted, had no problem declaring who they had come to vote for. A noteworthy aspect of yesterday’s occasion was that some MPs and attendees were under the impression that the election for the 10 Senate seats would occur on that same day. This belief stemmed from the Order Paper, which listed the election of Senators as the sixth item on the agenda. During breaks, various individuals engaged in conversations about the inclusion of the election of senators. They expressed confusion about this, as it is typically coordinated by a Speaker who has been blessed by His Majesty King Mswati III. However, this process had not yet begun. Former politicians explained to those concerned that it was unlikely that the election of senators would occur on the same day.

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