Times Of Swaziland: MP MAGONGO SUSPECTS KING HAS NO ADVISORS

MP MAGONGO SUSPECTS KING HAS NO ADVISORS
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BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 20/10/2021 08:30:00


LOBAMBA – Motshane MP Robert Magongo suspects that the His Majesty King Mswati
III does not have advisors.
This he said during a meeting which was attended by about 18 Members of
Parliament (MPs) in the House on Monday afternoon, where they resolved that the
Speaker, Petros Mavimbela, calls an urgent sitting. MP Magongo said as
legislators, they should perhaps also seek an audience with the King, where they
would have an opportunity to inform him that the situation on the ground was not
okay.
He said he suspected that the King did not have any advisors because when he had
gone on an assignment to open a hospital, he then discussed other issues.
“Presidents are criticised all over, but they do not address such issues and
they keep quiet,” said Magongo. He said instead, there was some form of
retaliation and this was a clear sign that the King did not have advisors and
therefore they should go home. “Abahambe nje baye emakhaya,” he said in
siSwati.
Audience
He was supporting Dvokodvwerni MP Mduduzi Magagula, who said perhaps 10 MPs
should be selected to seek an audience with the King about dialogue or even the
entire House. MP Magagula further said the Prime Minister, Cleopas Dlamini,
should also call the police to order because of the continued police brutality.
He said a man had been shot and killed by police just for breaking curfew hours,
while pupils were also being shot. Meanwhile, Mkhiweni MP Ndlelayekuphila Masuku
said he had been a victim of the violent June protests and stated that they were
being deprived of an opportunity to discuss these issues to map a way forward.
He said similar incidents had occurred in many places around the world, stating
that they were always sparked by small things. He said that was why countries
like Lybia and Iraq had leaders in Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, who were brutally
killed. On the Speaker’s issue, Ntfonjeni MP Sifiso Magagula said he was very
disappointed in the Speaker for cancelling Monday’s sitting. He said Mavimbela
was a politician who was elected by the people of Mhlambanyatsi and the MPs had
elected him to lead them.
organ
“The Speaker has closed the very organ which is supposed to be used for people
to speak and raise their concerns,” said Magagula. He said there was no
medication in hospitals and MPs were made to face the brunt of the people’s
anger as they were told that they did not care about the masses because the
legislators had medical aid.  “Speaker must respect Parliament and respect the
country and emaSwati,” he said. Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane alleged that the
Speaker was showing that he is captured. He claimed it was clear that Mavimbela
was instructed to cancel the sitting. He said it was clear that MPs were only in
Parliament to approve budget allocations as that was the only time they met.
“How can we remove ingwe lehleti esihlahleni?” he queried. Mpolonjeni MP
Jacob Siwela said he was also hurt and disappointed by the Speaker’s actions.
“The Speaker must be assisted because clearly something is wrong, he must tell
us in a caucus what his problem is,” he said.