The campaign of encouraging Swazis to register for participation in parliamentary elections is giving loyalists of the totalitarian regime some cold feet. Both chambers of parliament; Assembly and Senate Houses are worried by the initiative by some political parties who encourage Swazis to register in numbers. Unexpectedly the high voter turnout during registration for the upcoming elections in 2023 whose primary and secondary elections are scheduled for 26 August and 29 September respectively has mounted pressure among loyalists of the regime in parliament.
There have been reports from newspapers in the country revealing that some members of parliament and senators are not pleased with the way elections registration has been done. This comes after 583,670 registered voters which was very unexpected after the deadline for registration was extended by four days from 14th June to 18th June. Even on the 14th of June voters registered were numbered at 523,075 which was lower than those who registered in 2018 elections where over 549,000 voters registered. The high voter registration has caused shivers to many die hard supporters of the regime who for decades have used parliament as a sanctuary to enact draconian laws unchallenged.
The Deputy Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku who is from Methula Constituency took his time and went to his chiefdom at Lawuba to check the voters roll during the week, to everyone’s surprise the DPM protested that he saw some six voters registered in his chiefdom whom he personally did not know. The old frail and ruddy man could not contain himself as head ran to state media talking over the sole state radio saying there must be thorough checking of the voter’s roll as he haphazardly saw six individuals he does not know in his chiefdom. Mr Masuku further promised to lodge a complaint with the Elections and Boundaries Commission over the matter.
Mr Masuku has strong interests in the elections of Methula Constituency because the incumbent MP Derrick Masuku of Methula Constituency is his brother whom he assisted to sponsor his campaign for 2018 elections. Prior to winning parliamentary elections Derrick was a personal assistant to the DPM. It is the tendency of Mr Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku to deploy his family members in strategic key positions within government. Sabelo Masuku now a permanent judge to the High Court of eSwatini after being appointed by the king is a son to the DPM. Sabelo was holding the position of Commissioner in the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration, while in that position his father as Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Police ordered the massacre of Swazis in June 2021. Mr Sabelo kept the number of massacre victims low in a 2021 October human rights report to protect his father.
We demand the release of jailed pro – democracy members of parliament honourable Bacede Mabuza of Hosea constituency and honourable Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi constituency. We also call for the withdrawal of an arrest warrant against exiled former MP Mduduzi Simelane of Siphofaneni Constituency. These MPs are jailed for defending people’s rights, freedom and democracy. The regime accuse these political leaders on trumped up charges of terrorism, sedition and murder. The two MPs have been in jail for over a year, since 25 July 2021. All their bail applications were rejected by the High Court of eSwatini.
The talk by MPs and senators that the elections registration did not go well is contrary to what Elections and Boundaries Commission reported as they said the registration process went well. The politicians for the first time they feel threatened by the electorate. Swazis are greatly disappointed by the failure of incumbent senators and MPs to hold parliamentary operations at ransom by boycotting sittings in protest for supporting the two MPs in jail and one in exile. The nation wants to elect patriotic individuals to parliament this time not greedy gluttons.
National Economic Movement - NEM 