Times Of Swaziland: ARE THESE INDICATIONS?

ARE THESE INDICATIONS?
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By vusi Kunene on 17/05/2018 08:23:00


In the past I mentioned that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) must
leave a good legacy.
This is specifically to the chairperson of the commission who constitutionally
will not have an opportunity to oversee another election as he is only supposed
to serve for 12 years and the appointment is not renewable, as per Section 90(5)
of the Constitution of Eswatini. The time has finally arrived and the elections
process has started but I am worried if the commission will be able to deliver
free and fair elections to the nation. To ensure fair and free elections is one
of the functions of the commission. The fairness is not only in the secondary
elections but at any level of the elections according to Section 90(7) of the
Constitution. One of the things to be done to guarantee free and fair elections
is the registration of voters. I agree, therefore, with the provisions of the
Constitution that the commission must oversee and supervise the registration of
voters. Sub section 13 also provides that the commission shall not be subject to
the direction or control of any other person or authority. So they have wide
powers to make sure that they deliver on their mandate and cannot claim
interference or sabotage.
So whatever goes wrong in the elections they will be to blame, fully. I am
worried by early indications in the registration process and the statements we
see in the media attributed to the commission and the commission not denying
them or not saying or doing something to address the problems. There is an issue
that concerns the KoNtshingila Chiefdom where there are already complaints on
the registration process. If there are already complaints about the person to do
the registration of the voters, does the commission expect a free and fair
election? I do not think so but I may be wrong. Why not get a neutral person to
do the registration than risking having an unfair election? We cannot blame the
authorities of the area in this because the EBC is not subject to the control or
influence of any person or authority in exercising its function, if we are to
believe the Constitution. Why risk the integrity of the elections just for one
family to be employed to do the registration? Is there something we do not know
about the family like they are holding a qualification that they alone possess
to do the registration? I am further worried because of their experience.
In the previous elections, the software that was used by the EBC encountered
problems and I understand the country lost a fortune when acquiring such
expensive malfunctioning software. This year the EBC requested huge amounts of
money to get new software despite that the EBC did not use the other one. Even
before registration began, there were already problems with the very software
that was bought. Has the EBC again acquired software that will not serve the
purpose? Why is the EBC busy buying software that is are not functioning? Is
this a sign of another disaster? We know that our internet is not strong and we
are to avoid software that will require the use of the internet or the internet
is deliberately made weak to the detriment of emaSwati and will be strong when
it is elections time? I also asked myself, did the EBC bother to sit down to
analyse and try to correct the mistakes of the past or they never bothered
themselves because emaSwati are generally soft people who will not cause any
bloodshed even when the elections go horribly wrong?
This worries me because in the past we have heard complaints that people from
different areas, especially around Matsapha, were transported to go and vote in
other areas where they were not ordinarily residents of. A case I recall was one
in Pigg’s Peak where there were rumours publicised that people were
transported from Matsapha to vote in Pigg’s Peak. We have now read in
newspapers that the same thing is happening and an elderly lady decided to raise
the alarm. Is this something that should be happening at this day and age? I am
of the opinion that this should have been taken care of by now because we have
experienced it in the past. I do not want to waste time on the fallacy of not
campaigning until people have been allowed to because we all know for a fact
that people campaign way before they are nominated. I also feel that has to
change because we then tend to elect people not knowing their ideas. I am really
worried by the events of the time and wonder if they are indications of what to
expect in the elections?