Meeting called off, contractors want elections postponed
MANZINI - A special general meeting for contractors, whose main agenda was elections, was called off and the members want the proposed ‘sham’ elections to be postponed to June 2024.
The Eswatini Contractors Association (ECA) called a special general meeting for its members and it was supposed to be held at The George Hotel in Manzini yesterday morning.
However, when the meeting was supposed to start, the convener, Reuben Msibi, announced that as an office, they had checked the registry twice and they did not form a quorum. Therefore, he called off the meeting and said as per the constitution, they should propose another date, which would be within 14 days and they suggested March 25, 2024, to have the much-awaited elections for the national executive committee (NEC).
He asked the members to mobilise others to attend the March 25, 2024 meeting, if they were to form a quorum and have the elections. However, he highlighted that even if they did not form a quorum on March 25, 2024, they would seek legal advice on what they needed to do to continue with the meeting.
Allow
Thereafter, one of the members, John Horton, said the constitution did not allow what they were doing. He said an annual general meeting (AGM), which was the rightful forum to host elections, was supposed to be called about eight months ago - in June 2023. Again, he said when they looked at the programme, Msibi referred to himself as a chairperson, yet the association did not have a chairperson. When
Msibi attempted to respond to Horton, another member, Sandile Nhleko, stood up and asked the meeting to stick to the constitution.
He also asked Msibi to always align with the constitution, as opposed to doing so when it favoured him.
He also asked Msibi about the instrument which gave him the power to call the meeting, because as an association, they did not have a chairperson.
“According to the constitution, this meeting is unconstitutional and unlawful,” Nhleko said.
Furthermore, he submitted that a special general meeting was not for elections, but the voting process could only take place during an AGM.
Chosen
He added that according to the constitution, an electoral officer was supposed to be chosen by the members, instead of being appointed by certain individuals.
In response, Msibi said when the previous NEC was disbanded last year, he announced that himself to gether with the association’s Administrator Nolwazi Dlamini, would remain in office until a new executive committee was elected.
However, another ECA member, Bongani Simelane, submitted that the elections should be postponed to June 2024, so that a majority of them (members) could be in good standing and be eligible to vote and be voted for. He said when they paid their subscriptions in June 2024; many of them would qualify to partake in the elections, as they would have two fully paid up years as members.
“We want proper elections, not sham elections,” Simelane said.
Contention
He made this submission following a contention that was raised in the previous meeting (of July 20, 2023) – wherein some of the contractors were made aware that most of them (over 600) were new members, following the fact that their membership was constitutionally ceased after they skipped paying subscriptions.
This was after the Construction Industry Council (CIC) suspended the association and informed the members that they should directly pay to it (CIC), if they needed to renew their certificates.
As such, it was said that only 67 ECA members were in good standing regarding paying subscriptions and the concern was if they would form a quorum.
In response to the proposal, Msibi said they would seek advice from their legal team and any response would be communicated to the members in due course.
The members demanded that the communiqué should also be published in the media.