Swazi Observer, 19 January 2012

GOVERNMENT is more than ready to conduct the national elections next year. This was revealed by Minister of Justice Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze.

He was speaking during a courtesy visit to the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) offices yesterday.  Gamedze said it would be a grave mistake for government not to stage elections.
He applauded the commission for progress made in preparation for the 2013 elections. He encouraged members of the public to ensure they get their national ID cards before the elections begin next year.

The minister stressed that using one form of identity document was necessary to make things easier for the commission when conducting the elections process. In the past, voters were allowed to use various documents such as the national ID, drivers’ licences, and birth certificates during the registration process.
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Gamedze said the commission had done a lot to achieve its mandate despite the financial challenges government was facing.
He said government had just gone through a tough year but the commission achieved a lot.

Forget multi-party – Minister Mgwagwa

THE 2013 national elections will continue undeterred despite threats by some union members who are calling for a change from the Tinkhundla system of governance to multi-party.

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze said this during a courtesy visit to the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) offices at Nkhanini yesterday.

The minister said they noted as government that some people had been on the roads calling for multi-party governance but, that will not happen as per the wishes of a few because the country had a constitution that it followed in whatever it does.

“We will do what the Constitution requires. No one will wake up one day and want to make changes overnight. National elections are conducted according to the constitution. If we do not conduct elections next year, then we would be flouting our very own document which is the basis of our functioning,” said the minister briefly.

The civic society has been calling for a change in the governance system from Tinkhundla to the multi-party system.  They raised concerns that the system had failed the people and therefore.

Ncumbi gets emotional

EBC Commissioner Ncumbi Maziya did not take kindly to being left out and not getting informed of the minister’s courtesy visit on time.
He said it was wrong for whosoever received the information not to inform them in time to prepare for the discussions.
Maziya said this after the Ministry of Justice’s Principal Secretary Jinnoh Nkambule invited comments from other members of the commission, after the Chairman Chief Gija had made his address.

“We were taken by surprise on the minister’s visit. Otherwise if we were informed prior about this, we would have prepared ourselves. Right now, one doesn’t know what to say because we do not even know the agenda of this meeting,” said Maziya.  “It is disappointing that we had a meeting yesterday but no one bothered to inform us about this. I must say it was wrong for whosoever got the information first not to alert us. It shouldn’t happen next time,” he said.

The PS had to calm down the situation as he explained that the minister’s visit was just to meet with and introduce himself to the commission since he was new in the ministry.