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SWADEPA MEMBER LOSES ELECTIONS JOB

12/05/2023 09:34:00 Thokozani Mazibuko

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SITEKI – A registration clerk with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has been dismissed for being affiliated to a political party, the Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA).

Khaya Gina claims he lost his job of being a registration clerk after he was seen wearing a SWADEPA T-shirt, a red beret and carrying a SWADEPA flag during the Workers Day Celebration last week Monday, at Mayaluka Stadium. Khaya is a former pupil of Ndzevane High School and formed part of the thousands of school leavers who were engaged by the EBC as registration clerks for the national elections. He was to be stationed in the Lubombo Region.

Exercise

The voter registration exercise started on Wednesday and is expected to end on June 14. Worth mentioning is that chiefs and tindvuna from chiefdoms around the Lubombo Region were advised by EBC officials to educate their subjects about the importance of participation in the elections and engaging them on issues of development. This was during the traditional authorities’ workshop, organised by EBC at Simunye Country Club last month. Khaya, who is 21 years old, said he had applied for the elections job and was called last month to the KaMatsenjwa Umphakatsi to fill in forms with others, as confirmation of being hired for the national general elections.

He stated that in the last week of April, they were then called to attend a training workshop at School for the Deaf at Matsetsa, where he was designated to be a registration clerk using the computerised system of the voter registration process. He confirmed to be a member of SWADEPA in an interview and indicated that he applied for the elections job because he was currently unemployed. Khaya stated that during the training, they were advised not to associate themselves with political parties, as such was against the EBC protocols and principles of conduct. He mentioned that he did not think that wearing regalia belonging to a political party would be a serious offence and eventually cost him his job.

He shared that on May 1, he joined his colleagues from SWADEPA at the Workers Day celebrations, wearing regalia belonging to the party.
He highlighted that last week Monday, he received a call from an EBC official, summoning him to join others to attend a workshop at the Nkilongo Inkhundla. Moreover, Khaya said on the same day in the afternoon, he received a call from EBC Lubombo Elections Officer (EO) Siboniso Nhleko, who informed him that he had been seen wearing a beret, T-shirt and carrying a flag of SWADEPA and reminded him what they were told about associating themselves with political entities.

He stated that the EO said such actions proved that he was a comrade. “He told me that I was seen in a picture wearing a beret and T-shirt of SWADEPA and also carrying a flag of the political entity. He asked me what the provisions of EBC entailed when being seen associating with people like these. I then told him that it is true that I was seen wearing the party’s regalia, as I was at Mayaluka to commemorate Workers Day. So, I got the T-shirt at the stadium and they lent me the beret,” he said.

Khaya elaborated that Nhleko then told him that by being seen wearing the party’s regalia, it was significant enough that he liked what he was doing (with the political party). “After the conversation, he then told me to take care before cutting off our conversation,” he said. Thereafter, Khaya said he received a call from his father, informing him that he had received a call to the effect that he should not continue with what he was doing but immediately return home.

He stated that his father told him that the indvuna had informed him that they had been instructed as a chiefdom to look for his replacement.
He said he then stopped what he was doing and collected his items at the constituency and returned home. Called about the matter, his father Dumisa Gina, confirmed it, stating that it was a sensitive issue that touched on an important national event, hence he was not comfortable delving much into it.

Wearing

Dumisa shared that indeed, he received a call from the KaMatsenjwa Umphakatsi royal kraal Indvuna, Masoka Matsenjwa, informing him that he got a call from Nhleko from EBC informing him, that his son was seen wearing a red beret, hence he could not continue with the elections job. Adding, he said he then called his son to stop what he was doing and return home. However, he said his son continued to be part of the workshop at the constituency.

“I don’t want to be seen like I am fighting government as this is a serious issue. I told him that I had received a call from the indvuna informing me that he could not continue to work for the EBC after he was seen wearing the red beret. I wouldn’t like to comment much on this issue,” he politely said. Dumisa shared that he asked his son if Nhleko had called him about the matter and he confirmed that he did, but had not instructed him to stop participating in the workshop. He said he then made another call to the indvuna to enquire about the final decision regarding the issue.

“I called the indvuna and he told me that Nhleko had instructed him that my son cannot work due to being associated with the political party. I then called my son to return home,” he said. Called to shed light on the matter, the Indvuna Masoka Matsenjwa, indicated that he was not ready to talk about the matter. “You must not get the details from me but contact the EBC people (sic),” he briefly said. EBC’s Nhleko asked that the chiefdom should be responsible for sharing what transpired in this matter. “You should get more information from the chiefdom as they are the ones who are responsible,” he briefly said.

Communicated

EBC Communications Officer Mbonisi Bhembe said there was nothing official that had been communicated to him by the officials handling the matter. “I have tried to get hold of Nhleko but he is not answering my calls, hence I could not gather any information regarding the matter. I was unable to get hold of the officials from the HR office,” said the communications officer. Meanwhile, SWADEPA Finance Committee Member and Media Liaison Officer Sanele Sihlongonyane said their member had informed the organisation about the matter.

Sihlongonyane said they were still to meet and resolve on the next step to take. He further mentioned that they were also planning a march to voice out their concern on the unfortunate sacking of their member from benefitting from the availed jobs by the commission. “It is unfair that one who is associated with a political organisation has to be fired for wearing a party’s regalia. Our member applied for the job on individual merit, not as a political party member. We are still to take a decision on what next has to be done,” he said.