‘BUY CASH’ 8TH SPEAKER TO BE DIRECTLY ELECTED

MBABANE – Pigg’s Peak Member of Parliament (MP), Jabulani ‘Buy Cash’ Mabuza has scored himself a ticket into the list of candidates who have become directly elected Speaker since the introduction of the Tinkhundla System of Government in 1978.

Mabuza, who is yet to be blessed by His Majesty King Mswati III, was elected the Speaker last Friday during the swearing-in ceremony of the 69 elected and appointed MPs. He beat Mhlangatane MP Madala Mhlanga after amassing 41 votes while the latter secured 28. Mabuza has written history books in that he has joined those who took the hot seat after having been elected from a constituency instead of being appointed. There had been instances where the Speaker position was won by someone who was an appointee in the House of Assembly.
History reflects that the first Speaker to be directly elected by the House after the introduction of the Tinkhundla System of Government in 1978 was Musa Justice Sibandze in 1993. Overall, between 1978 and 1993, the Speakers were appointed by the head of State. After Sibandze, the hot seat was taken by the late Mgabhi Dlamini, who was an elected MP from Ngwempisi Inkhundla. Mgabhi is known to have hogged the headlines way back in December 1999 when he was allegedly caught stealing cow dung at Ludzidzini Royal Residence Cattle Byre.

deliberate

This happened when the nation had convened a People’s Parliament (Sibaya) to deliberate on matters of a constitutional nature and other ground-breaking matters that require the direction of the King. This happened at the cattle enclosure during the Incwala ceremony and the action was regarded as taboo. He was immediately pressured to resign from his position because he had become a national disgrace. In early 2000, Mgabhi threatened to skip the country and seek political asylum abroad because he had gotten tired of the government’s persecution. It was claimed that the pressure allegedly came from then Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, who kept telling him to resign with immediate effect. A motion was moved in Parliament to oust Mgabhi, but it failed to get a majority vote. Mgabhi was to later tell journalists that he was summoned by the PM, who told him to either resign or face arrest. He eventually resigned on March 15, 2000, after he claimed he was getting death threats.

After Mgabhi, the position of Speaker was taken by the late Mntonzima Dlamini, the then Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission. Nicholas ‘S’kakadza’ Matsebula followed next and was an elected MP from Motshane Inkhundla. Next was Marwick Khumalo, the seasoned MP who at the time had been elected by the people of Lobamba Inkhundla, however, did not finish his term as he resigned in March 2004. Following his resignation, Trusty Gina was appointed on an acting basis until Charles ‘S’gayoyo’ Magongo was appointed to the position. At the time, Magongo was an elected Member of Parliament for Lobamba Lomdzala Inkhundla. After Magongo, Gina acted again until the position was taken by Prince Guduza who, however, was not an elected MP, but had been appointed by His Majesty King Mswati III.

The prince held the position until 2013 when Themba Msibi was elected unopposed after then-contenders Prince Guduza, Mfomfo Nkambule and Patrick Pha Motsa withdrew from the race. Msibi’s era as Parliament Speaker ended on October 11, 2018, when he was beaten hands down by Petros Mavimbela, who was an elected Mhlambanyatsi MP. Mavimbela amassed 47 votes and the loser Msibi received 22. Mavimbela’s ascent to the seat was preceded by an emotional and convincing motivation by incarcerated former Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, who was the mover of the motion. Mabuza is on record having said that it would be amiss if the elected MPs chose someone from outside the House to represent them. Although he made no mention of Msibi, he stated that the country was in a bad financial state, and that adding a member from outside the House would be an extra burden to the taxpayer. The summary and history of the country’s Speakers reflect that it is only Prince Guduza and Msibi who were appointees when they assumed the position of Speaker.

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