LAZWIDE: I WILL PICK UP WHERE ‘GAWUZELA’ LEFT OFF

SIPHOFANENI – Newly-elected Siphofaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Nomalungelo Ntombi Simelane, affectionately known as LaZwide, says she will pick up where her husband left off in Parliament.

In an interview with this publication after being announced the winner yesterday, she said the people of Siphofaneni and emaSwati took a tough decision and entrusted her with ensuring that she pursued what her husband, Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane, advocated for. Former Siphofaneni MP, Simelane, together with Hosea and Ngwempisi MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, who were arrested for allegedly inciting the public to riot, were calling for an elected prime minister as opposed to one who was appointed by the King. LaZwide was announced the winner by Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Returning Officer Sibusiso Dlamini at Siphofaneni High School Hall where the votes were counted.

Amassed

She amassed 2 612 votes to beat her closest contender, Moshoeshoe Nkambule, a candidate of Madlenya Umphakatsi, who got 1 031 votes while Sabelo Ngcamphalala of Ngevini Umphakatsi managed only 391 votes. LaZwide said even though she was elected at a time when the current political climate in the country was unstable, she wished to always embrace truth in the discharge of her duties as a legislator. She stated that the people of Siphofaneni were still asking questions as to what prompted government to sack her husband. The KaMkhweli Umphakatsi candidate and eventual winner said the electorate had made their voice clear that they wanted her to complete what they had sent her husband to do in Parliament.She added that the electorate had tasked her with taking her husband’s mandate of seeing a democratically elected government by the people to the end.
“I promise the people of Siphofaneni that I will work hard in fulfilling what they have sent me to do in Parliament and also what they had tasked my husband with pursuing while he was still an MP. Working together, we will fulfil their wish.

“I am short for words to describe my excitement and feeling that Siphofaneni people have trust in me and they came in their numbers to vote me into Parliament,” she said. LaZwide further thanked all the voters under the seven chiefdoms and the support she received from people beyond the borders of the country through messages and prayers. Moreover, she thanked members of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) across the country and the people of Siphofaneni for holding a vigil to ensure that they left for their respective places of abode after the results had been announced.“Macomrades, I say thank you (ngiyabonga) for your fighting spirit and I thank the people of Siphofaneni for the confidence they demonstrated in electing me. I also thank ‘Gawuzela’ for his never die spirit and his resolute decision to stand for the truth, including Bacede and Mthandeni and many others.“I would like to also acknowledge the prayers and support from pastors. I became stronger and stronger each passing day through their spiritual support,” LaZwide concluded.

Congratulated

Worth mentioning is that the Siphofaneni electorate, who welcomed and congratulated LaZwide for her win, collectively mentioned that they would also vote for her in next year’s national elections. Tambuti Umphakatsi candidate Mzamo Ndwandwe obtained the least amount of votes, 12.  second with a least votes was Mphumakudze Chiefdom’s Hlobsile Thwala got 44. Khetsile Sikhondze from Maphilingo Umphakatsi amassed 77 votes while Thokozani Nkambule of Nceka Umphakatsi accumulated 246.The total number of votes from the 12 polling stations was 4 447. The sorting and counting of the ballot papers took almost five hours. It started at 10:55pm.

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