Home | News | NO ‘GAWUZELA’ ADDRESS AT LAZWIDE’S THANKSGIVING

NO ‘GAWUZELA’ ADDRESS AT LAZWIDE’S THANKSGIVING

16/09/2022 07:36:00 Nhlanganiso Mkhonta

Font size:

MBABANE – Former Siphofaneni Member of Parliament Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane will not be allowed to make any address during the thanksgiving service of his wife, MP Nomalungelo LaZwide Simelane tomorrow.

It has been reliably gathered that yesterday morning, the Lubombo Regional Administrator (RA) Themba Msibi, Lubombo Police Regional Commander (RC) Charles Magagula held a meeting with Siphofaneni Indvuna Yenkhundla Mzimela Simelane. In an interview with this publication yesterday, Mzimela confirmed having met with the said officials at the RA offices in Siteki around 11am. Mzimela said at the meeting, he was basically representing his MP LaZwide, who was invited by the RA and the regional commander to discuss the upcoming thanksgiving service scheduled for tomorrow. He said LaZwide could not make it to the meeting due to other commitments, which included preparations for the event.

Meeting

Mzimela stated that upon arrival at the RA’s offices, he was told that the meeting was meant to address security issues during the event as such gatherings often required police presence since they attracted people from other areas. He said they also informed him that since the event would be held at the inkhundla centre, which was a government structure, there was a need for security. The indvuna yenkhundla mentioned the meeting requested to see the programme for the event, which gave details on who would be the speakers because some people would not be eligible to speak during the event. He said among these people who would be barred from making an address on the day was the former MP (‘Gawuzela’), who was expected to address the gathering virtually.

Declared

‘Gawuzela’ was declared a fugitive from the law after he skipped the country following a warrant of his arrest which was issued against him.
Mzimela said it was emphasised during the meeting that the former MP should not address the gathering. He said there were some sensitive issues discussed during the meeting that he was not comfortable sharing with the media as that may get him into trouble. However, he said he was comfortable to share that he was told that Bishop Mpendulo Nkambule should not speak politically-related issues during the gathering or else he should not speak at all. Mzimela said it was stated that Nkambule should not speak anything inciting during the event. He said it was also stated that Nkambule should get a neutral ground where he could speak politics, not at the inkhundla centre. When sought for comment, the MP, LaZwide, stated that it was her first time to see an ordinary thanksgiving that attracted a lot of interest from such supposedly esteemed officials.

She said she had always known that under the Tinkhundla System, the best place for people to air their views was at the tinkhundla centres. “I am still shocked at what the indvuna told me, that some voices do not deserve to be heard,” said LaZwide. The MP said she could only assure that nothing was hidden and she would forward the programme to them as per their request. “No one will be coming to insult anybody there, hence I do not understand what the fuss is all about,” she added. LaZwide said she had not forgotten that the event was postponed from the initial September 3 date. She said she was starting to worry if this was done because she was a woman MP or what.

She said over the past months, she saw other MPs hosting events in their constituencies where there was not much attention from government. “Maybe this is to do with gender, but I am still to see as the events unfold. I urge mostly Siphofaneni electorate and all those who supported us to come in numbers as this is their day,” said the MP. In a previous interview, Msibi said they were not against LaZwide’s event because she was a woman. He said they actually supported and acknowledged women coming into power.

Enjoy

Nonetheless, the MP said come tomorrow, it would be a great day and people should come to enjoy themselves with their friends. “A great day it shall be,” she emphasised. When sought for comment, the former MP, ‘Gawuzela’, said he was shocked to hear about such, that the people were not supposed to hear his voice. He said after all, he had not planned to speak during the event. He said putting his face on the poster of the event was enough as the people knew the message by merely looking at his face. He said the RA’s office was just afraid hence the move to stop him from speaking. ‘Gawuzela’ said he had spoken enough with the people and his voice was now in the veins of the people, not only Siphofaneni people but the entire country.

He said to prove that he had not planned to speak during the event, by the time it took place he would be in a plane, hence there was no way he could address the gathering. The former MP said, therefore, he was not worried about the move by the RA’s office to silence his voice during this event.
However, he assured the people that whenever he wanted to speak to them, he would do just that, without asking for permission from anyone. “The RA’s office cannot decide whom I speak to or who speaks to me, he is not God,” said ‘Gawuzela’. Lubombo Regional Police Headquarters Commander Magagula, said they attended the meeting after being invited by the office of the RA.

Comment

However, he asked not to comment about the agenda of the meeting, stating that the office of the RA was suitable for doing that. Efforts to get a comment from the RA’s office proved futile as the RA, Msibi’s cellphone was not available on the network for the better part of the evening yesterday. The last call made to Msibi was at 7:36pm. Also, efforts to get the Lubombo Regional Secretary (RS) Jane Simelane were also unsuccessful as she did not answer her phone. Bishop Nkambule said such a move by the RA’s office meant that he had not seen the programme because he (Nkambule) would not be part of the service tomorrow. Nkambule said the event clashed with his other appointment outside the country.