Africa-Press – Eswatini. “Why should I vote for you when you have failed to assist one individual?”
This question was posed by Gugu Zulu to aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) Sifiso ‘Mashayinkonjane’ Nhlengetfwa.
This was during the organised campaign conducted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) at Prince Mfanyana Hall in Manzini yesterday.
Zulu posed this question after Nhlengetfwa made his presentation on what he aimed to do for Manzini North electorate once elected into Parliament.
According to the businessman, he had been Mnyenyweni Chiefdom’s Bucopho for the past 15 years and said he believed that his good service as Bucopho and being an honourable person was the reason he was nominated for the MP position.
During his service, he said he believed he achieved a lot, which was evident in the number of development projects that had been established for various co-operatives under this chiefdom.
Nhlengetfwa stated that during his tenure as Bucopho, the youth under his chiefdom greatly benefited from government’s Regional Development Fund (RDF). On this subject, Nhlengetfwa said if elected MP, he would lobby government to increase the annual RDF allocation for all constituencies.
Undertake
Currently, each constituency is allotted a budget of about E3 million annually to undertake projects by the communities under it.
To access money from this fund, interested citizens need to form groups of not less than 10 members and then submit their business proposal to the chiefdom’s Bucopho.
“In the past five years, about E4.7 million was used for projects under Mnyenyweni Chiefdom alone yet there are six chiefdoms under Manzini North Constituency,” he stated.
In order to have more development projects by members of all the chiefdoms under the constituency, the aspiring MP said the annual allocation needs to be increased.
Further, he said if given the chance, he would strive for a revision of the requirements that interested citizens need to meet before they could be considered for the fund. In this regard, Nhlengetfwa said the minimum of 10 group members was too high, which has been the reason that most interested businesspeople had failed to access the fund and start businesses.
“The RDF should not be used for infrastructure, but development projects that will create jobs and sustain Emaswati.
“I’m confident that I’ll help develop the people of Manzini North Inkhundla as I’ll work in collaboration with Bucopho from all chiefdoms,” said Nhlengetfwa.
After his presentation, Zulu, who wore a promotional t-shirt with a picture of another aspiring MP from the same constituency, asked why Nhlengetfwa should be voted for when he had failed to assist a single electorate, mentioning a certain Hlophe. Hlophe was involved in a car accident years ago.
In response, Nhlengetfwa clarified that he and the late former MP Jan Sithole followed up on Hlophe’s matter and they learned that she did not receive much compensation from the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA) Fund because she was a passenger in the car that was driven by the person who was responsible for the accident.
“The MVA Fund compensated her in accordance with the law.
This shows that some laws need to be reviewed,” said Nhlengetfwa. Another electorate Nombulelo Simelane acknowledged Nhlengetfwa’s great work for the period he had been Mnyenyweni’s Bucopho.
“You have worked hard, that is why we nominated you.
May you continue doing the great work for other chiefdoms as you have done for Madonsa residents,” submitted Simelane, much to the attendants’ applause. Shortly after Nhlengetfwa stepped down the podium and left the hall, most of the attendants abruptly stood up and followed him.
Source: new.observer.org.sz
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