Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Federation of Swaziland Trade Unions (FESWATU) President and football administrator Mashumi Shongwe, has declared his readiness to accept nomination for a seat in the 12th Parliament under the Makhwelela Inkhudla (Shiselweni II). Shongwe is currently out on E50 000 bail after being charged for the murder of his wife Tigezile Magongo who was a police officer. Magongo was killed on November 30, 2022 and to gain his freedom, he was ordered to pay E10 000 cash while the balance was set as surety. FESWATU established to manage the welfare of mostly plantation workers in the country. Speaking to the Eswatini News this week, Shongwe made it clear that as per the country’s laws, he was a suspect and has not been convicted of any offence.
Guilty
“This matter is still in court and so I would not want to say much but what must be clear is that I was arrested because I am a suspect, not that I am guilty of any offence. In short, I am a suspect, not a convict, which qualifies me to be nominated or take part in elections. Even if today, you can report to the police that your clothes were stolen, you, as owner of those clothes become the first suspect. That is how law works,” he said. Asked on the reports that he has been approached for nomination by the people of his community, Shongwe’s response was to the affirmative.
Deserted
“I have always stayed in my community and ever since my growth, I have never resided in any other community. Even if I was looking for greener pastures, I would do that and come back home. I have never deserted my region and community. My people know me better, they have seen me all my life. If the people of my community wish to nominate me, I will not decline. It would not be for the first time I am nominated. I was once nominated at Maseyisini Inkhundla in 2008, then in 2013 at the same area but I declined because I felt I was not ready to serve in parliament at the time. If I am nominated this year, it would be for the third time. The reason I declined the last two nominations at Maseyisini was because I was staying at Makhwelela and had not built a homestead at Maseyisini,” Shongwe said.
Adding, the straight-speaking Shongwe said: “Let us wait for the nomination day and when that happens (nominated), I will seek God’s guidance. However, people of my community know me better and if they put such trust in me to serve them in parliament, it would be wrong to go against their wishes,” he said. Asked to provide clarity on the positions he holds as FESWATU President and Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Vice- President, Shongwe insisted that nothing has changed despite his arrest.
Resigned
“I am still holding those positions and nothing has changed. I never at any point resigned from those positions. In my absence (when in jail), it was known that I am not available and it was known where I was. I am out on bail now, I am at home and continuing with my business as usual. There was never at any point where I offered to resign to rest because I am not tired of anything. The reason I was not active is because I was not available, not that I was tired of work. I am still serving in both organisations but if I am nominated for parliament, then I would have to decide what I do with the other positions,” he said.
Deriving
Shongwe also touched on His Majesty King Mswati III’s address to the nation during the recent Sibaya, deriving a number of positives from it.
“When the King has spoken, we all shout ‘Bayethe’. I heard the King perfectly when he said everybody who is a liSwati and has reached 18 years and above is allowed to nominate a person they can trust. A person who, when in parliament, will work towards serving their communities through development initiatives so that the country develops in all sectors of the economy, root out poverty in communities. The King emphasised that Eswatini must be a country well respected in terms of development,” the football administrator said.
Represent
He also stated that a person who is elected to represent others must not represent himself but should know that he is sent by the people. Shongwe said this meant an elected person should come back to the people who elected him and must not forget to seek the mandate of his electorate.
“The country needs people who have love for the country, people who know and understand national unity, how this is achieved. I have travelled the world, to those involved in wars and those without. I have also been to countries using modern leadership ideologies.
Eswatini nation has been fortunate in the past that we have never witnessed blood being spilt such that we lost loved ones because we could not trust each other. What I have observed in the country is hunger because of poverty. As for me, I have properties in town but I do not spend most of my time there, I stay in the rural areas where life is difficult, there is no food. We see that government is putting in a lot of effort in food sustainability, food security. Government has commissioned a lot of agricultural projects. Most economies in the world grow through agriculture,” he said.
Source: times
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