BOGALAJANE DEMAND E5 000 FROM MP LOSER

SITEKI – Campaigning agents (bogalajane) for one of the unsuccessful  MP candidates in one of the constituencies in the Lubombo Region are demanding their promised E5 000 each.

This is payment for campaigning for the former Member of Parliament (MP) candidate. One of the campaigning agents confided in this publication that they had been waiting for the payment for the past two weeks, but the aspiring legislator had not been cooperative when they confronted him with their grievance. The campaigning agent said many of his peers were still waiting for payment, including those whose MPs won the secondary elections. There are about 10 campaign agents who are awaiting payment from the former MP candidate.

Police

The name of the losing MP will not be mentioned for now, as the matter has not been reported to the police and the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). Interestingly, another campaign agent whose candidate won said after voicing out their concerns to the newly-sworn MP, he promised them that he would be hosting a party this coming weekend as a way to thank and appreciate their efforts. “Natsi sonkhe kelapho solo siyigadzile (some of us are still waiting for payment) and Saturday we go partying. Maybe we will be paid after the party. Some of us were promised E5 000 as the figures differ. It is true that we are owed but we cannot lose hope now,” said the campaigning agent who asked that his identity be concealed.
The agent for the loser MP, when asked if they had reported or opened a case with the police or engaged the EBC on the matter, *Zembe said they were still nursing hopes that they would be finally paid what was due to them.

Promised

“We have not reached that stage, but if the delay in the payment of what was promised to us persists, we will meet to decide on the next step to take,” Zembe said. Called to shed light about the matter, the former MP candidate asked not to comment about it. “I cannot comment,” he briefly said. EBC Communication Officer Mbonisi Bhembe said it was unfortunate that agreements have been breached between the concerned parties. Bhembe advised the aggrieved bogalajane to exercise patience and resolve their grievances amicable. “It is a matter between the concerned parties and my advice would be that they must exercise patience in resolving the matter amicable,” he said.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said any matter of a dispute nature should be reported to the police. Vilakati said the police would then appropriately advice the aggrieved people considering the information they have shared. “The police welcome any matter of dispute and it is important that they visit the nearest police station, where their case will be treated with urgency and in accordance with the law,” she said. The secondary elections marking the final stage of the national elections were held on September 29, while the swearing-in and taking of oath and allegiance of the newly-elected MPs took place last Friday.

Meanwhile, some of the campaign agents, who are widely referred to as bogalajane, have raised concern that the size of chiefdoms where candidates were nominated was one of the key determining factor in the eventual results.

Guaranteed

In their view, the bigger chiefdoms had an advantage over the smaller ones, because by virtue of having a high number of voters, their candidates for the position of MP were almost guaranteed. They said the current scenario did not promote individual merit. This is despite the fact that in the past, there had been quite a number of candidates who won despite that they came from smaller chiefdoms
*Not real names

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