BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– The media fraternity has been well-represented in the 2023 elections.
Old and new faces including serving ministers, outgoing MPs, journalists, businesspeople and pastors joined the race to Parliament.
At their different chiefdoms, they were nominated to contest in the primary elections that precede the final exercise (secondary elections).
This year, the newsroom is well represented as Welcome Siyabonga Dlamini, the Times of Eswatini Weekend Deputy Editor, Mhlonishwa Motsa, the Times SUNDAY/Eswatini News Senior Reporter and Alec Lushaba, the Managing Editor of the Eswatini Financial Times agreed to proceed to the primary stage of the elections.
Also headlining the nomination of journalists are Donatus Nkonotja Zwane, a famous radio personality for the national radio, Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) and John Perez, a talk show host and journalist for Eswatini TV.
Vusi Sibisi, a former editor and current feature writer for the Times of Eswatini, Mphilo Dlamini, who worked for the Times of Eswatini as a reporter and later served the Eswatini Observer as editor, and lastly among the scribes aspiring for political positions was Mduduzi ‘Top Dog’ Mngomezulu, a seasoned photojournalist with the Eswatini Observer. He was nominated for the position of indvuna yenkhundla at Msunduza under Mbabane East.
Meanwhile, the entertainment industry has Gedlembane from Mafutseni and Illa Pen Boy from Mtsambama running for the top position.
Taking to his social media platforms Illa Penboy said he was grateful for being nominated and was hoping to win.
“I accept this challenge and I will represent my people well,” said the rapper.
The old horses include outgoing MP Marwick Khumalo, this is his sixth nomination for Khumalo, who began his political career in 1998 as an MP for Lobamba Lomdzala.
Another seasoned politician who was nominated is Lutfo Ephraem Dlamini, whose political career also began in 1998. He, however, took a break in 2013 as he lost the election but returned in 2018 as a representative of the people of Ndzingeni Inkhundla.
Dr Tambo Gina, the Minister of Economic Planning and Development, accepted the nomination. Meanwhile, Former Deputy Speaker Esther Dlamini is back on the campaign trail at Msunduza.
