Siphofaneni by-elections: A closer look

MBABANE – Siphofaneni by-elections became the backdrop of political conversations in the past weekend as commentators commended the election of a new Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) instituted the by-elections, following the dismissal of former MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane from Parliament in November 202 . Simelane was removed after skipping the country and missing 2 official sittings in the House of Assembly. He left the country to evade a warrant of arrest issued against him after being charged of contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 200 , by allegedly inciting the public to revolt against a Constitutional government.

Parliament, through the office of the clerk reported a vacancy to EBC and as per the dictates of the Elections Act, EBC then called by-elections.

The process immediately became popular after the erstwhile Simelane’s wife, Nomalungelo, was nominated at KaMkhweli 8mphakatsi to replace her husband.

LaZwide, as Nomalungelo is widely known, professed to being a member of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO), a political organisation formed by her exiled husband, weeks before she was nominated as a candidate.

The organisation openly supported her campaign to the extent of attending even the voter education exercise at KaMkhweli 8mphakatsi.

The by-election was further made popular the organisation’s open stance in participating in an election process under the loathed Tinkhundla System of Government, much against an uproar from the pro-multiparty democracy groups. SWALIMO was openly challenged for the decision and its founding President, Simelane, was blamed for allegedly causing division in the mass democratic movement in the country.

POLITICAL CONFLICT

The attention generated by the political conflict draw more attention to LaZwide, giving her a clear edge over the other candidates as she became the most talked about aspiring MP in the constituency.

She later staged a very loud campaign strategy backed, not just by members of her political movement only, but by the Gospel music fraternity. LaZwide, a very popular Gospel artist in her own right, is also a member of the Association of Christian Artists in Eswatini (ACAESWA). Artists under the association supported LaZwide’s campaign through performances in roadshows hosted around the seven imiphakatsi in the area.

The biggest roadshow was hosted two days before the secondary elections on -uly 0, 2022. This was another defining moment for LaZwide as the event draw a large crowd and was attended by mostly Gospel celebrities. LaZwide put up a very public campaign while the other candidates opted for small events which were less publicised.

The charisma of the former MP, ‘Gawuzela’, also worked in her advantage, especially in the last roadshow at Siphofaneni town where he spoke to the voters through an amplified phone call. He narrated how he lost everything while fighting for the people and even left some of the audience in tears.

“I don’t mind losing it all. The system can take away my family take away my freedom and all luxuries I am supposed to be enjoying as a human being and a resident of Siphofaneni. I don’t mind, they can take it all, as long as they will give me the freedom of my people. I know that the people of the area voted me into office but I was removed by the system and now you, the people of Siphofaneni, are supposed to vote for a new MP. I know you will do the right thing and put someone who will stand with you at all costs. Someone who will not be afraid of the status Tuo and that person is LaZwide,” said ‘Gawuzela’.

A public spat between ‘Gawuzela’ and one of the top three candidates, Sabelo Ngcamphalala of Ngevini, also pushed LaZwide much closer to an undisputed win as she received sympathy votes from constituents who would not have voted for her. Ngevini had the highest voter registration numbers followed by Madlenya then KaMkhweli. It was clear that anyone who wins Ngevini voters was going to be the eventual winner. The disagreement made the voters doubt the loyalty of Ngcamphalala, and presented LaZwide as the organic candidate who could be trusted for her word.

CHALLENGE

LaZwide’s real challenge then remained with the silent but lethal Moshoeshoe Nkambule from Madlenya 8mphakatsi. The fact that Nkambule came second proved that he presented a real challenge for the position of new MP.

In a bid to convince last minute voters, LaZwide decided to camp at one of the polling stations in Madlenya, Siphofaneni Primary School, to be visible to the people and follow the process from there on election day. This further convinced the voters that LaZwide was a worthy candidate.

Nkambule was the one candidate who also presented an elaborate campaign strategy from community projects to assisting football teams in the area, an audience which LaZwide did not attempt to convince.

The other four candidates, Thokozani Nkambule from Tambuti, Mzamo Ndwandwe from Nceka, Hlobisile Thwala from Mphumakudze and Khetsile Sikhondze from Maphilingo had minor campaigns compared to the top three candidates.

The election day was an electrifying experience, as over 200 people cast their votes in the twelve different polling stations. The easy flow of the process through the newly-adopted voter streaming process was another defining moment as it cut long lines to non-existence and gave each voter minimal time at the polls.

The peace at the voting stations was another highlight on the voting day. The political climate was unpredictable on the ground, following the fact that Siphofaneni was among the three constituencies where the -une 202 political unrest was peddled. The fact that the former MP was removed for allegedly calling for political change in Parliament made the election process volatile too. However, no scenes of violence, hostility or challenges were reported and the observers from the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration (CHRPA) and other organisations all reported a free and fair election process.

An official from the CHRPA, who spoke on conditions of anonymity to protect the assessment process, said the election was surprisingly drama-less as some anticipated confusion.

“We are amazed at the level of professionalism and precision of the process in the face of the current political situation. A lot was said ahead of the election, some even made speculations that it will be rigged. To be honest with you, we came here prepared to deal with lots of issues of unfairness, but we were shocked to find that the process was actually peaceful and fair,” said the official.

Interviewed just before the counting of the votes began, LaZwide’s Campaign Manager Zweli Simelane expressed his distress on how to break the news to the large crowd gathered outside counting station should they lose the election. His main worry was that the process was free and fair, which made it difficult for him to find something to blame any loss on.

“I am uncomfortable at the moment, what if we lose and I have to go face the crowd outside and tell them we have lost fair and sTuare. 'o you think they will believe me" The process has been clean and we can only pray for a win right now,” he said.

FAKE RESULT

A large crowd of about 500 people, mostly members of SWALIMO, had gathered outside and convened a night vigil while waiting for the results.

Social media also provided a highlight for the election as )acebook users stayed through the night while the votes were being counted. A fake result was issued at about 2am while the allocation of ballot papers was ongoing. Celebrations were heard outside as an unknown person notified the audience that LaZwide had won the election. This was before the actual counting of the votes. The news spread through social media and created anticipation from the many fans of the new legislator.

The presence of SWALIMO members and the voters of Siphofaneni added to the excitement around the election.

Only three candidates attended the vote counting at Siphofaneni High School including LaZwide, Thokozani and Ndwandwe. The other candidates opted to be represented by their campaign managers.

LaZwide was eventually announced the winner in a press conference on Sunday morning and EBC Chairman, Mhlabuhlangeni 'lamini said her election was the epitome of the democracy that exists under the monarchical democracy.