AFTER FASCINATING EOCGA ELECTION RACE: ‘BOMBER’, ZAKHELE BOUNCE BACK

EZULWINI – Long-serving football and sports administrator, Adam ‘Bomber’ Mthethwa, has been re-elected as the President of the Eswatini National Olympic Committee (NOC).

The institution is widely known as the Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA). This transpired during the EOCGA elective congress held at the Happy Valley Hotel and Casino in Ezulwini, yesterday. Just as he did in 2021, ‘Bomber’ triumphed over former President Peter Shongwe, who is currently the Treasurer of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone VI. Mthethwa secured 81 per cent of the overall votes, recording 34 out of 42 votes in the ballot. Shongwe garnered eight votes, equivalent to 19 per cent. As Mthethwa embarks on his second term in office, he expressed his commitment to serve the associations in his final term. “I appreciate this privilege and honour of being elected, together with the whole Board. We promise to deliver as per expectations and work towards advancing the spirit of Olympism,” he stated.

Confidence

Mthethwa also expressed confidence in the High Performance Strategy, believing it will facilitate the qualification of at least one athlete for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. According to the constitution, the term of office for the board shall not exceed four years, and Mthethwa may be excluded from the next election due to age restrictions. Each candidate must be under 70 years old on the election date, and Mthethwa is currently 69.

Meanwhile, the race for the vice-presidential position was a nerve-wrecking affair, narrowing down to a two-horse race after former board member Temangcane Maseko, withdrew. This left Zakhele Dlamini, President of Athletics Eswatini (AE) and former EOCGA Board member Maphanga to compete. It is understood that Maphanga had previously expressed interest in this position during the by-elections but was hindered by constitutional provisions.

The ballot count saw a tense moment as the candidates were neck and neck, with no one leading by more than a two-point margin. Ultimately, Maphanga edged ahead of Dlamini to reach the 50 per cent mark, opening a six-point lead with eight votes still to be counted. As Electoral Officer Musa Sibandze counted the remaining votes, tension filled the hall over the outcome. Ultimately, the votes favoured Dlamini, allowing him to overtake and defeat his former colleague by a two-point margin to retain his seat. In addition, Zakhele Zulu’s second term as Treasurer was confirmed even before the elections, as he was uncontested for this position. The election proceeded to the battle for additional members’ seats among eight candidates.

Nominated

At least two women needed to be elected among the three nominated to fulfil the expected 30 per cent female gender quota in the board. All three women emerged victorious, along with Victor ‘Mavikane’ Dlamini, who was the favourite. Pearl Dlamini, a Board member of the International Boxing Association (IBA), and Princess Thobile, President of the Eswatini Judo Association (EJA), retained their seats in the board. Additionally, Ntombikayise Masango, President of the Eswatini National Netball Association (ENNA), also succeeded after a previous unsuccessful attempt in 2022. Notably, Sibusiso ‘Swazi Bolt’ Matsenjwa, Chairman of the Athletes Commission, joined the Board as the athletes’ representative.

On another note, the fate of Chief Executive Officer Maxwell Jele, will be determined by the new Board. According to the constitution, Jele must remain in office for the next three months for purposes of handing over. During this period, the board may choose to renew his contract or terminate it, with an expected one-month notice if they decide to end it.

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