MANZINI – Seven people have been nominated to contest for one vacant bucopho position in the Manzini by-elections.
This follows the death of a late bucopho for St Paul’s under the constituency, marking the beginning of the process to fill the seat.
The seven nominees were confirmed at the nomination stage, with two women and five men among those seeking the position.
Senior Elections Officer Nomvula Dlamini confirmed the number of candidates following the close of nominations, as the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) moves to the next stage of the electoral process.
The nomination of the seven candidates does not, however, mean that campaigning can begin immediately.
The nominees will first undergo a vetting process to establish whether they meet the requirements to contest the election and whether there are any circumstances that would prevent them from standing.
Only candidates who successfully complete the process and are declared qualified will proceed to the next stage.
According to Dlamini, campaigning for the qualified nominees is scheduled to begin on October 6, 2026.
The development marks the start of a process that will eventually determine who takes up the vacant bucopho position.
The by-election is being conducted under Eswatini’s Tinkhundla electoral system, which differs from the electoral systems used in many countries. The process involves several stages, beginning with nominations at constituency level before candidates proceed to subsequent stages of the election.
For voters and observers unfamiliar with the system, the nomination stage is therefore only the beginning of the contest. The vetting process is intended to establish which of the nominated candidates are eligible to proceed, before the approved candidates begin campaigning.
The seven nominees will now await the outcome of the vetting process as preparations continue for the next phase of the by-election.
The presence of two women among the seven nominees also brings a gender dimension to the contest, with women accounting for two of the seven nominations.
The candidates will have an opportunity to present their ideas and priorities to voters once the campaign period begins.
With campaigning set to start on October 6, attention will now shift from nominations to the candidates’ qualifications, their messages to voters and the issues they intend to address if elected.
The eventual winner will take over the vacant bucopho position following the completion of the electoral process.
The by-election provides voters in the affected constituency with an opportunity to choose a new representative while also illustrating the multi-stage nature of elections under Eswatini’s Tinkhundla system.
