Home | News | THEN THERE WERE 4: NEW FACES WIN REGIONAL MP SEATS

THEN THERE WERE 4: NEW FACES WIN REGIONAL MP SEATS

07/12/2023 13:42:00 Nonduduzo Kunene

Font size:

LOBAMBA – Members of Parliament (MPs) have finally elected the four women who will join them in the august House as the 12th Parliament.

The tense yet exciting, sad but funny elections of regional women MPs took place yesterday in the House of Assembly, where the 20 women who were nominated got to know their fate.
The four winners were all new faces in politics. They were Tanele Magagula who will represent the Hhohho Region, Thandeka Mavuso, for the Manzini Region, Lindiwe Mamba, for the Shiselweni Region and Futhi ‘Mamkhize’ Ngcamphalala, for the Lubombo Region. The four beat some candidates who had been in politics before, such as former Minister of Education and Training and also Mafutseni MP in the 11th Parliament, Lady Mabuza, former deputy Speaker Trusty Gina and the famous Purine Bhembe. Former Bucopho in the Shiselweni Region Nonhlanhla Simelane was also part of the names that had run for elections in previous terms.

Constitution

Noteworthy, the regional women MPs, according to the Constitution, are elected by MPs if it happens that the women who are elected during the general elections are less than 30 per cent of the House. The MPs then form an electoral college and elect the regional MPs. During yesterday’s elections, the MPs were given ballot papers and the election was run according to the Regional Women MP Elections Act of 2018. Out of the 69 MPs, only 66 voted. The counting for the regional MP uses a point form in order of preferences. According to the counting method, the first candidate to reach a quota emerges the winner. The quota is determined by dividing the number of votes by two then add one. Overall, the quota for the women MP was 34, meaning a candidate who received 34 votes after counting the original votes and transferred votes was confirmed a winner. The first region that was voted for was the Hhohho Region, which was followed by Manzini, Shiselweni and Lubombo regions.

Counting

After the legislators had cast their votes, the presiding officers started sorting out the votes and the counting began. All of this occurred while the nominees were seated at the public gallery. During the voting, MPs would crack jokes without discussing who they were voting for. The nervousness could not be hidden in some of the candidates’ faces and their relatives, as some maintained their calm, while others were tossing and turning the entire time. The first region to know their fate was the Hhohho Region. The region had five contestants, who included Ncobile Lukhele, Tanele Magagula, Sizolwethu Dube, Nonhlanhla Msimango and Tengetile Mavimbela. Msimango did not get a first vote and was disqualified from the race. The competition in the Hhohho Region was between Lukhele and Magagula.

Eventually, Magagaula emerged the winner as she was able to get the 34 votes, which was the quota. Another region that had a tight contest of original votes was the Shiselweni Region, where Lindiwe Mamba and Thembelihle Mabuza had a close tie of original votes. Mamba had 31 while Mabuza had 29. However, through transfered votes, Mamba emerged the overall winner in the region after beating Thandeka Matsebula, Gugu Msweli and former Bucopho Nonhlanhla Simelane. The Speaker of the House of Assembly Jabulani Mabuza, announced that the regional women MP-elect will taking their oath today in the House at 2.30pm.