MANZINI – There is unrest regarding the results announced during the Wafa Wafa National Dance Competition held on Sunday.
The executive members of the Eswatini National Dance Association engaged in a dispute over the outcome declared on stage during the Eswatini International Trade Fair (EITF). The competition took an unexpected turn when the association’s President, Nobantu Masilela, announced Vibe Warriors as the winners. One of the executive members, Mr Sey, expressed disagreement with the decision, stating that the results did not align with the judges’ scores.
“They announced results different from those compiled by the judges. They had their own number and the president said they will have their own winner while backed by some members of the executive. I’m part of the executive and this is disappointing because these people knew who they wanted to win, which then makes the work of the judges seem pointless,” he said. He further recounted observing the president with some members selecting a winner before the official results were announced. “We were all together and I heard them saying the number one scored by the judges would not be declared the winner, and they then decided on their own. The judges did not even surrender the score sheets but they were taken abruptly, and now the judges are questioning whether their efforts were necessary in this competition. They are undermining these young performers, and we cannot support this. The judges were not even present on stage when the results were announced,” he added.
Following Mr Sey’s allegations, this publication contacted President Nobantu Masilela, who stated that the announced results would stand. “Mr Sey is the director of the groups and I don’t even have a group. I think this is why he is fighting. I am not the one who was calculating the score sheets. We also have a third eye as an executive where we select who should win. As an adult, I won’t argue with him. This competition was for dancers, not for him to have a team participating as well, yet he is also part of the executive,” Masilela explained.
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