I WAS YOUR FAVOURITE CANDIDATE, SAYS LUTFO

NKAMAZI – Former Minister Lutfo Dlamini says he is aware that he was the favourite candidate among residents of his home area during last year’s elections.

Speaking during his farewell party held yesterday, Dlamini warned Ndzingeni residents against fighting what he termed were his ‘wars’.
 “Ngiyati kutsi umuntfu lebenimutsandza kakhulu ngelukhetfo ngimi,” he said in vernacular.

 “Therefore, you should desist from fighting my wars. I am aware that there are people who are not happy that I am no longer their MP. I am also aware that there are people saying ngilayekile (serves me well). Such persons should be worried because maybe it’s them who will suffer. You should accept the fact that I am no longer your MP – that was decided by voters during elections. For progress, we should all be working to develop the Ndzingeni Constituency instead of pointing fingers at each other,” he said. Dlamini said he was prepared to continue assisting people of Ndzingeni with whatever they needed for development.

The residents of Nkamazi had hosted a party for him at a cost of E1 500 for the role he played in his 15-year tenure as a legislator under the Ndzingeni Inkhundla.
While many were of the view that the incumbent MP would be invited, he was a no-show during the event.
This raised eyebrows among those who had attended the event.

Dlamini, however, condemned the organisers for excluding the MP, saying they should not fight his wars.
The gathering, which was held near the Nkamazi Chiefdom, began just after lunch and lasted until 5.30pm. Dlamini, who is currently a member of the Border Restoration Committee (BRC), was spoiled with lot of gifts including indigenous food. He was also presented with two 25 litres of the marula brew (buganu).

The organisers of the party comprised of three organisations under the Ndzingeni Constituency and they explained that they were very saddened that the erstwhile minister did not make it into the 10th parliament. The organisations are Phezukwemkhono – Nkamazi, Fakani Emandla Bomake and Geza Poultry Project.

Speaking on behalf of the organisations, Linah Tsabedze and Mandla Chirwa said they were reluctant to invite MP Ndwandwe to Dlamini’s party because his presence would have been viewed as setting him up.
Tsabedze said: “We did not invite Ndwandwe intentionally because we were scared he would think we are setting a competition of what is expected of him during his tenure.”

Chirwa, on the other hand, said: “The party was strictly reserved for Lutfo not Ndwandwe and this is the reason we did not invite him. Again, we feared it would appear as if we are setting a standard which he has to maintain as an incumbent MP.”
However, the former minister said he was surprised that MP Ndwandwe had not been invited.

“You should have invited him so that he should learn from today’s occasion that whatever he does for the constituency, it must be celebrated in the end,” he said. “It was a huge mistake that he was not invited. People should know that I am a resident of Ndzingeni.

Most people thought I settled at Ndzingeni because I wanted votes yet that’s not the case. It is a pity that during my three terms as a politician I was a minister, hence I spent little time working with you,” Dlamini said. He said the residents are now lucky that the new MP was a backbencher. “This will make him have ample time to spend with you on ground projects,” he said.

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