General

NGWEMPISI – There was chaos during the army recruitment exercise at Ngwempisi, as the constituency headman disqualified aspiring soldiers he knows as residents, but had wrong chief codes.

This took place during the fourth day of the ongoing army recruitment exercise at Ngwempisi Inkhundla and one of the chiefdoms, Macudvulwini, does not have a chiefdom councillor (bucopho) as he died in 2024.

As a result, the Constituency Headman, Mliba Mabuza, conducted the verification exercise for Macudvulwini Chiefdom and in the process, he disqualified over 10 aspiring soldiers over their chief codes, which suggested that they did not belong to the chiefdom and constituency.

It is worth noting that the army is not involved in the verification exercise, as the members of the army recruitment team do not know the people of the various chiefdoms and constituencies.

While disqualifying them, some members, if the community asked him if he does not know them and he admitted that he knows some of them, but maintained that the issue is that their chief codes do not belong to the chiefdom.

One of the affected aspiring soldiers is Innocent Mbuyisa and some of the people who are close to him approached the constituency headman and put it to him that he even knows Mbuyisa’s home. They wondered why he was disqualified. Mbuyisa added that he has been a residence of the chiefdom for over 13 years and has competed for a job in the army under the constituency two times already.

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Disabled man tries luck to join

NGWEMPISI – A 30-year-old Xolani Msibi, who is living with a disability showed up at Ngwempisi Inkhundla with a desire to join the race for jobs in the army.

Msibi, of Bhadzeni I, who was born with disabilities and uses a wheelchair, said his wish was to be a soldier to serve and protect the Kingdom of Eswatini and Their Majesties.

He said he lives with his grandmother, mother, siblings and they know about his desire. He said he prepared for the race for about a week, using his wheelchair.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Army Recruitment Team Brigadier General Thabo Luhlanga said aspiring soldiers should belong to the constituency, be physically and mentally fit. He then applauded Msibi for joining the race for jobs in the military. He said he believed that he joined it because he belongs to the constituency and is physically and mentally fit.

After that, he passed the verification exercise and was marked with a stamp on the arm, giving him green light to compete in the 3.2km race.

However, when the rest of the aspiring soldiers were given instructions to follow the members of the army recruitment team to the starting point, he stayed behind.

“The aspiring soldiers did not open space for my wheelchair, so I could not compete in the race,” he said.

*Full article available in our publication.

The fourth day of the ongoing army recruitment exercise took place at Ngwempisi Inkhundla. (Pics: Mlondzi Nkambule and Sibusiso Zwane)

A 30-year-old Xolani Msibi, who is living with a disability showed up at Ngwempisi Inkhundla with a desire to join the race for jobs in the army.

Msibi said he lives with his grandmother, mother, siblings and they know about his desire to join the army.