With rice from Taiwan ǤǤǤ EBC asked to p”o„e „uying of teštile ™o”ke”sǯ ˜otes
MANZINI - The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has been asked to probe the matter of some candidates, who buy textile workers’ votes.
7his was an assertion by one Mphile Bhembe, who raised that he noted that some candidates who had money and influence bought the votes from people working at the textile firms in Matsapha. He said these people were not originally from the area but their votes were bought by the powerful candidates. were using their power in office to push their campaigns because no one could call them to order. He was supported by another member, who supposed that the ministers were using the remaining time they had to solicit votes from constituency members.
Allegations
:hen drawn for comment, Minister 1gcamphalala disputed the allegations, stating that such did not hold water. 1gcamphalala said the embassy did not only single out ministers but was giving out donations to everyone. 7he minister articulated that as far as he was concerned, people who were in office were not campaigning but only serving their mandate.
³:e are not campaigning but doing our job. A person in office is not campaigning but it is the one who is not in office, as he or she is still aspiring to be elected, who can be said to be campaigning . Otherwise we are only doing our job,” 1gcamphalala reiterated. Meanwhile, Minister Buthele]i wondered if 7aiwan only offered donations to ministers. He chose not to comment on the allegations.
³, cannot be part of politics without direction. , wouldn’t want to entertain any rubbish, let alone involve an independent country in cheap politics, , don’t think it would be fair. 6o , don’t have anything to say in this,” Buthele]i said.
Minister Harries ‘Mad]e’ Bulunga said for the record, the rice donation had always been there for the past five years to every M3 who reTuested such from the embassy.
Items
³7hey have always assisted us with other items such as walking sticks for the elderly and wheelchairs. 7here is no harm in asking for such and distributing to the needy of my constituency. 7he last donation to Mbabane East ,nkhundla was on 1ovember , and it’s not for campaigning because , gave it to bucopho and indvuna to distribute in the four imiphakatsi,” he said. ,n response, EB& Education )acilitator 9usumu]i Mdluli said they were not certain that the ministers were campaigning. He said as long as they did not declare by word of mouth, reTuesting for people’s votes, then they could not be deemed as campaigning.