Times Of Swaziland: NHLAMBENI RESIDENTS PETITION MP; BAN STILL STANDS - GOVT

NHLAMBENI RESIDENTS PETITION MP; BAN STILL STANDS - GOVT
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Sibusiso Zwane on 04/08/2022 08:43:00


MANZINI - Nhlambeni Member of Parliament (MP) Manzi Zwane is the first MP to be
petitioned after over a year since government banned the delivery of petitions
to constituency centres.
On June 24, 2021, government, through the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Themba
Masuku, who was the Acting Prime Minister at that time, announced that it had
suspended the delivery of petitions to tinkhundla centres, with immediate
effect. Masuku said: “It has become apparent that this exercise has created
breeding ground for anarchy and has been intentionally hijacked to sow seeds of
division among emaSwati in complete disregard of public safety, rule of law and
COVID-19 regulations.”
Violence
A move to deliver a petition to Siphofaneni Inkhundla after the ban (on June 26,
2021), resulted in violence, as protesters clashed with law enforcers which
resulted in shops as well as vehicles being burnt. The violence spread across
the country and led to the June/July political unrest, where protests were
staged countrywide. There was looting and vandalism of private and public
properties, some of which were torched. According to Government Spokesperson
Alpheous Nxumalo, the ban still stands as the administration has not opened
petition deliveries yet. However, he said MPs continued to interact with their
respective communities. He said under the Tinkhundla System of Government, MPs
were encouraged to stay in contact with their respective communities.
However, yesterday, a handful of people under Nhlambeni Inkhundla, met with
their MP at Mkhiweni, KaShali and delivered the petition, which they said was
long overdue as they were supposed to deliver it last year, but government
banned the exercise. In their petition, the people of Nhlambeni raised their
grievances to the MP, which mainly affected their lives. They said some of these
grievances were in line with the promises which the MP made when he was still
campaigning to be voted into Parliament. They said as poor people, they met and
agreed to see him so that they could remind him that they had not seen him doing
anything for them, even in Parliament, yet during his campaign he said he would
represent and speak for them after consulting with them on their needs. They
alleged that the MP also promised to make their lives better.
“So, we are reminding you that you still have to do that as your colleagues
are doing in Parliament,” they said in the petition.  One of their grievances
was that government should subsidise the prices of food and fuel. They said
government should upgrade Nhlambeni Clinic into a health facility that would
have all medical supplies and accommodate a lot of people.
“Government should introduce a basic income grant for unemployed youth, people
with disabilities and elderly of E3 500 per month,” reads part of the
petition. On top of that, they demanded that as MPs, they should protest for the
release of the MPs who were in prison. They said this was because the
incarcerated MPs (Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni
Dube), represented and respected them as a nation. They also demanded that MPs
fight for exiled former Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane, so that
he could return to the country and lead them. They also demanded that KaShali
Sports Ground should be returned to the community because they no longer had a
place to exercise. Another demand was that government should hold an
all-inclusive political dialogue.