MANZINI – Former Indvuna ye Nkhundla for Manzini North, Fana Sipho Tsabedze, has successfully transitioned back into grassroots governance after being declared the winner of the highly anticipated St. Paul’s By-Election.
The elections were held on Saturday.
The official results, announced by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) late Saturday evening, confirm that Tsabedze will now serve as the new Bucopho for the St. Paul’s polling division.
The declaration was made by Deputy Commissioner of the EBC, Bishop Sipho Tembe, at exactly 10pm during a press briefing following a rigorous day of voting and counting. The by-election, which was held to fill the vacancy left in the St. Paul’s polling division, saw Tsabedze emerge victorious with a decisive 262 votes out of the 633 total accepted and counted ballots.
The journey to the St. Paul’s polling station on Saturday began early, with the EBC confirming that voting officially opened at 7 am.
The process was conducted in the presence of candidates, their agents, and election observers, ensuring a high level of transparency. Tembe stated that the EBC had noted a smooth start to the day, with the digital application (EBC App) activated to track the process.
He said throughout the day, there were no reported incidents of unrest, and voters patiently waited in queues as the poll continued uninterrupted until the scheduled closing hour of, 7pm.
Tembe added that according to the official Ballot Paper Account released by the Commission, a total of 635 ballot papers were issued for the poll, with 633 being utilised. He said the counting process was highly efficient, resulting in no spoiled ballot papers. However, two ballot papers were deemed rejected, leaving a total of 633 accepted and counted votes. In a tight and competitive race, Tsabedze’s tally of 262 votes was enough to secure the victory and earn him the title of bucopho.
Tsabedze’s victory is particularly notable given his political background. As the former Indvuna yeNkhundla for Manzini North, he said he would brings a wealth of administrative experience to his new role.
Mashayinkonjane Nhlengetfwa, who was also previously a bucopho is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manzini North.
