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I’LL GLADLY ACCEPT ELECTION NOMINATION - GUBEVU

03/06/2023 06:05:00 Thokozani Mazibuko

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MBABANE- While other political activists have taken a stance to boycott the national elections, Gubevu Simelane has said that he would gladly accept a nomination from his constituency.

Simelane, who has been vocal and active in the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS), when speaking to Eswatini News, disclosed that residents of Ntfonjeni in the northern part of Eswatini approached him to represent them in Parliament. “Yes it is true that the people of Ntfonjeni have approached me and requested that I participate and stand for the national elections, however, it is up to them whether they nominate me for the bucopho, indvuna yenkhundla or position of member of Parliament,” the political activist said yesterday. The former President of the Students Representative Council (SRC) at the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) recently graduated with a Primary Teacher’s Diploma (PTD).

Suspended

The students rights activist had been suspended for three (3) academic years for carrying a sling during a strike action for allowances in November 2019, which was his final year at the university. He was suspended by the then Vice Chancellor, Professor Winnie Nhlengetfwa. He was suspended alongside the President of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS), Colani Maseko, who was suspended for five (5) academic years.
However, they were later reinstated after successfully challenging the matter in court. Even though Simelane had been very vocal among those who were part of the #Asiyi campaign, he has now come back to say that being elected to represent people as bucopho, Indvuna yenkhundla and member of Parliament was not in the hands of the one who was being nominated but the power “is in the hands of the electorate.”

“The people of Ntfonjeni have approached me about the national elections, but they have not told me which position they were planning to nominate me for. “In the event they do so, I will not turn them down but gladly accept their nomination,” pointed out Simelane. According to the political activist, it is especially the youth who have shown their interest in him standing for current on-going the national elections. “I have registered and I am ready to vote and be nominated by the people of my constituency who have faith in me that I can represent them,” Simelane said.

Further, the political activists pointed out that even though he was not affiliated to any political party, he was of the view that shunning the national elections was not a well calculated move. “Being part of the national elections is a testing tool as political activists to check out, how ready are the people of Eswatini in as far as electing a democratic government. “If we shun the elections, we will never know where the people of Eswatini stand.
“If I am nominated and I eventually win the elections, it will be a positive sign that the people have been capacitated or even if I do not win, and that too could assist us in knowing that we still have a lot to do,” explained Simelane.

The political activist said that he independently believed in dialogue and as he said he was a political activist who was also diplomatic and doesn’t believe in violence. Political Parties consisting of the Ngwane National Libratory Congress (NNLC), Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF) and the Economic Freedom Fighters of Swaziland (EFFSWA) have taken a stance that they will not be registering neither participating in the on-going national elections under the Tinkhundla System of Government.

Announced

Meanwhile, the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) and other political entities have announced their full participation in the 2023 national elections. It is worth noting that figures are nearing 300 000 people who have already signalled their participation through registration in the several polling centres provided by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). Figures that were issued by EBC showed that the overall number of people who have already registered since May 10 increased to 276 956, according to statistics by the close of business on Wednesday.