BY MBONGENI NDLELA
EZULWINI – Regional women PM candidates today were allowed to campaign in front of parliamentarians for a seat in the 12th Parliament.
The organized campaign took place at the Examinations Council of Eswatini offices in Ezulwini where each candidate was allowed five minutes to lobby MPs.
This is what they said;
PURINE BHEMBE
Kwaluseni Inkhundla
I joined the race for parliament in 2013, but I lost. In 2018, I joined the race and lost. Again, in 2023, I also lost the race to parliament. However, I am sure I will not lose now. We were grateful when we received the message that we would be allowed an opportunity to campaign before parliamentarians. I, however, had a bit of a challenge as to what I would say before you because this house is full of intellectuals. It is full of brilliant people. When I say the house is full of intellectuals I mean that there are former MPs here, there are former journalists, there are doctors, and there are police officers. We also have all kinds of economists. There are pastors and businesspeople. His Majesty the King is proud of the current parliamentarians in the sense that the country will indeed develop due to the rich mind here. During the recent Induction workshop, we followed the proceedings and noted that you have gained more knowledge. Amongst you, there are skillful MPs who will contribute to developing the country. Whatever I will share with you, I believe, you will handle it with dignity.
There is a lot that Eswatini has, that can be used for development. Our country has a good arable land which can be used for agriculture to give out the best.
Eswatini is exporting about 74 percent of its locally produced products. The product includes sugar that is as a raw material. Meanwhile, what is a thorn in the country is the unemployment rate, economic growth, etc. The point I am trying to drive here will help contribute to the country’s economy. I will elaborate on this point when I eventually join the 12th Parliament.
Speaking about sugar cane grown in Eswatini, you can compare our sugar and the one coming from Brazil.
Eswatini sugar is better even though it is exported as raw material to neighboring countries and Europe without adding value. When our sugar comes back to Eswatini it is brought on sachets, sold to us expensive yet it is our gold.
Some products we buy from retail shops were made using Eswatini’s raw sugar. This is because we allowed other countries to process our raw sugar yet we can do it here in Eswatini. In fact, we can produce many items with our raw sugar thus creating many job opportunities. As Eswatini, we should produce and also process our sugar to produce things like icing sugar and other sweeteners.
NOMIWE DLAMINI
Manzini North Inkhunda
I am a youth entrepreneur in the construction industry. I am the director of Haga Construction. Also, I am a farmer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science. I have a passion for the youth. My vision is to take away the youth from the streets.
How do we take out the youth from the street?
Looking at the fact that as a country we have a huge GBV challenge that comes from poverty. We also know that poverty was declared a national disaster by His Majesty the King.
Therefore, a disaster needs solutions that will come from us. So as a young person who is pushing a vision for the youth and women, if I can be given a chance to become a regional MP, I will be committed to working with all you MPs, not only Manzini, in pushing agricultural projects with the allocated funds. Given the chance, I will, together with the incumbent MP, meet with the youth at Inkhundla Centre to discuss agricultural projects using available funds. I believe that per year we can have a major agribusiness with the involvement of the youth and women in your constituencies. Since the youth is 70 percent, we can have that fund each year directed to agribusiness.
We know that we have a market in the country but many decry support, but the reason there is no support is that there is no consistency in our produce. If we can collaborate and produce at least two products per constituency that we will import to neighboring countries.
LADY HOWARD
Mafutseni Inkhundla
Previously, I was a school principal before joining the cabinet as a minister. During my time as minister, I was working with the nation. I have seen poverty in rural areas and its damage. I am here to say that I you can vote for me to join the 12th parliament, I will work hand in hand with Manzini region MPs in working on the funds that are allocated for poverty reduction; RDF, and Microprojects. I have established that the Microproject fund has been increased to 2000 per Inkhundla while RDF is 3000. I will collaborate with MPs to lobby that the funds be increased as it would not be able to sustain poverty in rural areas. We would love to push the fund to be six million for RDF and six million for Microprojects. I will also help MPs with the usage of the Youth Fund, given that in some cases this fund becomes unutilized. We need to look at the reason as MPs why the Youth Fund gets unutilized. Why the youth is not taking advantage of such funds? We can provide workshops and other programs to help the youth use this fund.
Regarding gender-based violence, a study that has been conducted in Eswatini reflects that it affects both men and women. Together as MPs, we should work together in sensitizing the rising concerns of GBV so that proper programs and attention be given.
As a person who has worked as minister of Education and Training, I have seen the challenges faced by schools and I will provide continuity consultation on programs that need to be done or implemented.
I also pledge to support you MPs and I will not overstep you in my work by going to your constituencies without being mandated or authorised by you. I will respect you, and not touch anything without being invited. I am a hard worker.
THANDEKA MAVUSO
Lobamba Lomdzala Inkhundla
First and foremost, I am here to ask for your vote. I am willing to work with you with humbleness and respect in developing the country and Tinkhundla. I promise to be a great asset to you in the challenges we are faced as a country and address the issue of unemployment because it continues to rise despite the new policies and programs that have been put in place . there are tenders in the country that should be in favour of Eswatini companies. Again, the tender winners should consider allowing youth companies to subcontract. There should be a law enforcing foreign companies who have won local tenders to contribute a certain percentage to the Youth Fund. If voted, I can also move a motion in Parliament that the Asian shop should used debit and credit cards so that they can bank their money locally. Most of them they do not bank their money; hence the country does not benefit.
On food security, let us venture more on Agriculture to open more job opportunities.
On education, let us not train or produce more teachers than what the country needs.
