Mana calls for fresh nominations

Mana Mavimbela untying her disabled aunt Ntusula Mamba's shoes.

ELUSABENI – The teenager who was disqualified from the parliamentary nomina-tions because of her dress code wants nominations to start afresh at Lusabeni Royal Kraal.

Mana Rebecca Mavimbela said she felt cheated as she had done nothing wrong to deserve the treatment she was subjected to by a presiding officer in her local royal kraal.
The 18-year-old Mavimbela had her nomination turned down because she was wearing trousers, a forbidden dress code for women in traditionally motivated conclaves.

In an interview yesterday she said her assessment was that in her area, the nominations were not free nor fair.
“The nominations were not held within the royal kraal which is why I saw nothing wrong in wearing trousers. I know the traditional statutes that forbid women from wearing trousers in royal kraals and I respect such laws. But in my case the elections were held in a school. Wearing trousers in this area is not uncommon as women wear them all the time.”

Mavimbela said it was for this reason that she felt the process should start all over again so that she can also be accommodated.
She said if the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) insists that her nomination was wrong because she was not supposed to be there, then the merits of her case must be viewed in a manner with those of the candidate she nominated?

“I nominated Jabulani Buthelezi without any objection from the presiding officer. I even went upfront to register my nomination for Jabulani. Mind you, I was wearing the same trouser all the time. “When I am nominated, suddenly the presiding officer puts the issue of my dress code to doubt. She asked me if I accepted the nomination and I responded to the affirmative. Instead of accepting me, she then turned to the crowd and asked if I should be allowed because of my dress code? As far as I am concerned a dress code was not one of the prerequisites for participating in the nominations.”

Mavimbela said the conduct of the presiding officer meant that she should not have been allowed entry into the school.
“The implication is that Jabulani was nominated by a disqualified person.” She said it was her humble plea that the nominations be started afresh so they would be considered free and fair.

Responding to questions about her decision to wear trousers, Mavimbela said she had nothing else to wear on the fateful day.
“My skirt was wet as I had just washed it and while I waited for it to dry on the line, we got word that the headman was now angry at the poor attendance and wanted us to hurry to the arena for the process to begin.”

Mum approved dress code

ELUSABENI – Mana Mavimbela was allowed by her mother to attend the nominations process while wearing a pair of trousers.
Norah Mamba said she saw nothing wrong with trousers because many other girls were wearing them in the area.

“It is only now that this is a controversial issue that I realise I made a mistake. The reason I saw nothing wrong was that the nominations were being held at a school and not the royal kraal. She said she had not bought the pair of trousers for her daughter but that she was presented with them by a cousin. “She does some self help projects herself to generate money and she buys the trousers. There is no way I can stop my children from wearing trousers.”

Meanwhile, Mavimbela acknowledged that Chief Mshikashika Ngcamphalala had barred the wearing of trousers in the area. She however, said she did not expect to be the first casualty of such a law, as most girls commonly wear trousers in the area.

... familiy lives in abject poverty

ELUSABENI – The family of the girl who has been denied the right to stand for parlia-mentary elections lives in abject poverty at Elusabeni.

Mana Mavimbela’s family is headed by her mother Norah Mamba. Mamba has six children all unemployed.

At 18, her daily routine revolves around making fat cakes and selling them to pupils at school.
She said if nothing comes to her rescue, she sees her future doomed.
Despite her situation, she said her vision was not just centred on herself but she had the passion to work for her underdeveloped community.
“The main reason I wanted to go to parliament was to be a catalyst for development here.”

Besides having to support her family, she also has a task to care for her disabled aunt who has no children of her own. She recounts how she was heartbroken to learn of a neighbour’s plight: ”There is an elderly woman here who is blind. She stays with a boy less than 10-years old who cooks and washes for her. I want to help this family substantially but I have no means. I only help them with menial chores,” she said.
 initiatives
Mana Mavimbela says her idea of being a parliamentarian is that she has to broker developmental initiatives in her home area, including making available clean water and electricity.

“As an MP I have to care for the orphans and the poor in the area.”
And what about the task that lies in the chambers of parliament?
She responds: “An MP is to convey what the people have told him to the King and to others in authority.”

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