STOP MPS FROM ELECTING SENATORS - MANGOLOLO

MBABANE – Mangololo Movement Eswatini has called for the review or abolishment of the law that allows Members of Parliament (MPs) to elect senators.

This comes in the wake of bribery allegations that have rocked Parliament following the election of 10 senators by the newly-elected MPs. There are serious allegations of bribery that have been levelled against both the MPs and aspiring senators, with some claiming to have paid as high as E900 000 in an attempt to secure a Senate seat. The allegations are yet to be proven but many commentators have decried that these have tainted the image of Parliament as a whole. Mangololo is of the view that Section 94(2) of the kingdom’s Constitution Act No. 001 of 2005, which allows MPs to elect 10 senators into Parliament, must be removed. This was said by the organisation’s Secretary General (SG), Nhlanhla Zwane, amid a series of reports of bribery allegations.

Zwane said it was concerning that the MPs now elected the 10 members of the upper chamber based on who the highest bidder was, instead of electing the senators on merit. He rhetorically asked if the newly-elected senators were of the right calibre to be elected into office. “We can say that the appointed senators are the ones who are credible as they would not have taken bribes to be appointed, as compared to the elected senators, who allegedly used money as an incentive to garner enough votes to be elected,” he claimed.

Appointed

The remaining 20 senators are yet to be appointed by His Majesty King Mswati III. Zwane said if nothing was done to quell the bribery allegations, it then meant that for the next five years, Parliament would be led by senators and MPs who were not credible in the eyes of the masses. “The MPs no longer deserve to be afforded the opportunity to elect senators because they (allegedly) use that for their own personal gain, where they think they can recoup monies they spent during the general elections,” he shared. He further stated that some of the senators who allegedly bribed their way into Senate wanted to be elected into the upper house so they could be in a privileged position to influence decisions that could benefit their personal and business interests.  “If I have E1 million that is clean, I wouldn’t see the need to bribe people simply for a position that would earn me E60 000 per month. It simply doesn’t make sense,” he added.

Zwane further mentioned that Mangololo Eswatini Movement would like a review of this piece of legislation, which should be abolished if some parliamentarians conducted themselves in such a dishonourable manner. The Mangololo SG recommended that all the 10 senators be appointed by the King or they be nominated through other structures from the four regions.   
In reaction to the movement’s proposal, an MP from the Lubombo Region said: “I do not agree with reviewing the section as MPs are the ones who are representing the 59 constituencies. We are there as representatives and just because there are MPs who are alleged to have taken the bribes, it does not mean that we are all corrupt.” Another MP, who is also a businessman, said he was not sure about reviewing the law which would see MPs not voting for senators. He, however, said he was aware that there were bribes which were offered to some of the parliamentarians but he personally did not receive any bribe. Zombodze Emuva MP Ntando Mkhonta (28) said he opted to vote for individuals by merit, whom he knew even before the Senate elections.

Preferred

He said he voted for his preferred candidates, whom he knew were fit for office and would execute what was expected diligently. Nkwene MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini said he was of the view that Mangololo Eswatini must voice this out at Sibaya next week Monday, given that this was a constitutional matter. Attorney General (AG) Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo could not be reached for the better part of yesterday when contacted for a comment. According to the Constitution where the composition of Parliament is concerned, Section 94(2) states that 10 senators, at least half of whom shall be female, shall be elected by the members of the House in such a manner as may be prescribed by or under any law at their first meeting so as to represent a cross-section of the Swazi (Eswatini) society.

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