COLD, WET WEATHER ADJOURNS SIBAYA, TODAY IS LAST DAY

LUDZIDZINI – Extreme wet weather conditions led to the adjournment of Sibaya yesterday and today marks the last day of the People’s Parliament.

The adjournment was announced by Acting Ludzidzini Governor Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo yesterday at 3pm. He also announced that Sibaya would resume today and would be the last day of the People’s Parliament. The adjournment came after the attendees were from a lunch break. This followed a downpour that had started at around 1:35pm at Lobamba. Some people were sceptical on whether yesterday’s session would continue as usual due to the dark clouds that were in the sky. From last Wednesday, submissions started as early and 11:30am. Yesterday was rather different because at 10:45am, the cattle byre was still being prepared for emaSwati.

Preparations

The preparations included placing polythen sheets all over the cattle byre to prevent the attendees from being soaked by the rainwater. It provided a proactive layer between the wet ground and attendees. At around noon, Sibaya started. Khumalo told the attendees that yesterday’s session was for public submissions, also known as kukhipha emanyeva. He said the reason the day was dedicated to emanyeva was because on Saturday, there were a lot of people who wanted to speak. “Today (meaning yesterday) will be for emanyeva because on Saturday when the People’s Parliament was closed, there were a lot of people who had raised their hands, therefore, we will continue where we left off,” he said. Just after the presentation of 38 emaSwati, the rain started pouring. People tried to hold still for less than a minute and others, mostly from the male section, tried to reach for the exit points, but the acting governor ordered the police not to allow anyone out.

At around 1.37pm, the rain persisted as it started to fall heavily. The attendees started using the polythen sheets they were seated on to cover themselves from the rain. At 1:42pm, people were on their feet covering themselves. Only those who were seated by the section of bantfwabenkhosi tried to brave the weather and sat still while waiting for the next direction.
Khumalo, at 1:45pm, announced that Sibaya should break for lunch and would resume at 2:45pm. For quite some time during the lunch break, the rain had stopped. Just after 2:45pm, when emaSwati reassembled inside the cattle byre for the next session after the lunch break, the rain started falling again but it was not as heavy. Khumalo then made an announcement that the session was adjourned due to the weather.

“Following the wet weather conditions, today’s session of Sibaya has been adjourned. We shall resume tomorrow (today) at 9am, which will be the last day as well,” he said. In a press conference that was held last evening at Ludzidzini Royal Residence, the acting governor emphasised that Sibaya would continue at 9am today. Further, Khumalo also assured the nation that transport will be available in all pick-up spots.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: