Un†waneǣ Iǯm in ˆor ʹͲʹ͵ elections iˆ ǤǤǤ
MBABANE – “If health permits, I will run for the 2023 elections.”
These were the words of former Siphofaneni Member of Parliament (MP) Gundwane Gamedze, when asked if he still had the energy to contest in the upcoming elections.
Fresh from a drama-filled by-election, where wife to former MP, Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane, LaZwide, emerged the victor, Siphofaneni folk will be glad to know that their favourite former MP has not ruled himself out of the 2023 poll.
Elections
Gamedze served four terms as MP for Siphofaneni Inkhundla between 1998 and 2018. He was dethroned by the youthful ‘Gawuzela’ during the 2018 elections, not without drama though, as a re-run of the vote counting had to take place, following suspicions that the election had been rigged.
“The elections are a long time away, hence I cannot say for certain that I will run because all will depend on health,” he said.
Peviously, the former MP had stated in an interview with the Times of Eswatini in 2021, that he was not interested in replacing ‘Gawuzela’ as the area’s MP. Indeed, Gamedze stayed out of the 2022 by-elections, which were eventually won by LaZwide. Seemingly, his ‘boycott’ has ended as he has now not ruled himself out of the 2023 vote. “There is still a lot of work to be done, I believe. Some projects are still outstanding from my time in office. We will see what happens next year,” he said.
At some point, Gamedze seemed invincible in Siphofaneni as people would say, ‘sesivele sikhetsile’, even before the elections were contested. He was famous for donating endlessly to assist people with school fees, funerals and other small things that people needed assistance on. People could not stop talking about Gamedze during his term.