Eswatini bazoya okhethweni yize amaqembu ezepolitiki edonswa ngeketanga

Isonto liqale esegalelekile eSwatini wonke amathimba abelindelekile naqhamuka kwizinhlaka ezahlukene okubalwa i-African Union (AU), iSouthern African Development Community (SADC), kanye neCommonwealth, ukuzobheka ukhetho lwamalungu eSishayamthemtho oluzobanjwa namuhla. Lamathimba agaleleka eSwatini nje, emveni kokuhambela elaseZimbabwe nalo ebelibambe ukhetho ngenyanga edlule nalapho iSADC izwakalise ukukhathazeka ngendlela ukhetho olwabanjwa ngayo. 

Izinhlelo zokhetho eSwatini zehlukile kunezamazwe amaningi ngoba zithathwa njengezithaka izinhlelo ezafika nedemokrasi zididiyelwe nokubusa ngaphansi kwezimiso zobukhosi. Kukhulunywa nje amaqembu ezepolitiki awavumelekile ezweni ngakho ongenela ukhetho usuke ezimele, eqhamuka kwezinye zezigodi – noma iTinkundla – ezingaphansi kobuKhosi, futhi azikhankasele ngokwakhe.  

Ngokohlelo, eSwatini kuba nokhetho lokuqala (primary elections) lapho kukhethwa ngokuphakamisa noma ukuqoka ozongenela ukhetho, lokhu kwenziwa kwizigodi kulandelwa uMthethosisekelo wezwe ogunyaza ukuthi izigodi zibeyizikhungo zokuqoka ngesikhathi sokhetho. 

Kulesi sigaba izigodi zinikwa amandla okuqoka abazongena kwizikhundla ezintathu okungeso Bucopho, indvuna YeNkhundla kanye ne lungu lePhalamende. Kulesigaba sokhetho akekho ovunyelwe ukukhankasela amavoti ngoba kusuke kuhlangene isigodi okuyiso ‘esimema’ abaziwayo emphakathini ukuthi bangenele ukhetho. NgokweKhomishini Yokhetho Nemingcele zingama-385 izigodi eSwatini nezaba yingxenye yokuhlela lolu khetho nolwabanjwa mhla wama-29 kuNcwaba nonyaka. 

Ukhetho lolu oluzoba mhla zingama-29 kwephezulu luyisigaba sesibli (secondary elections) ngoba abazolungenela yilabo ababephakanyiswe noma beqokwe kulolu khetho lokuqala. Kulolu lwesibili kuzobe kuqokwa amalungu angama-59 eHouse of Assembly okungenye yeziNdlu ezimbili zeLibandla okuyiPhalamende laseSwatini. 

Lezihlalo ezingama-59 zihambisana nenani lezifunda ezikhona eSwatini ezakhiwe yizigodi ezingama-385 nokuchaza ukuthi ngoyedwa odle umhlanganiso ophumayo eyomela isifunda sakhe ePhalamende. Kulesigaba sokhetho ukukhankasela ivoti kuvumelekile. Ngokulandelwa koMthethosisekekelo, ngaphezu kwalabo abazobe bekhethwe yizakhamuzi, iNgwenyama izobe isikhomba abanye abali-10 abazoba yingxenye yamalungu eHouse of Assembly nalapho kuphakanyiswa ukuthi okungenani ingxenye yabo kufanele kube ngabesifazane.

Emveni kwalolukhetho, yileNdlu ezoqoka amalungu ayi-10 bese iNgwenyama ikhomba ayi-20 ukuze kwakheke iNdlu yesibili yeLibandla okuyiSenate, nenamalungu ayi-30. Imithetho iphakamisa ukuthi kulamalungu ayi-30 eSenate, okungenani ayi-8, kwi-20, futhi okungenani ayisihlanu kwa-10 kumele kube abesifazane.

Ukhetho luzobe lubhekwe ngabomvu njengoba lwenzeka ngesikhathi imimoya idungekile phakathi kwezinhlaka ezahlukene ezweni. Kuzokhunjulwa ukuthi sekuphele cishe iminyaka emibili kwaqubuka imibhikisho ezweni lapho ingxenye yezakhamuzi yabe ikhalazela ukwentuleka kwemisebenzi, okudlondlobala kobubha, nokuntenga kwenqubo yeDemokrasi. 

Lesi kwaba ngesinye sezigameko esadala ukuba iSADC ithathe isinqumo sokungenelela eSwatini ngokuthi kwakheke ukubuyisana phakathi kwababehola ababhikishi kanye noHulumeni. Kodwa kuze kwafinyelelwa kulolukhetha leNhlangano ingakwazanga ukufeza lesinqumo sokudala ukubuyisana ezweni. 

Ukuhambela kwayo eSwatini ngalesikhathi sokhetho kumele kuthathwe njengokukhombisa ukuthi, noma ngabe eyayikunqumile ngaphambilini kungakafezeki, iSADC ayikaphonsi ithawula ngelalelo okumele ibe nalo ukuze kubenokuthula eSwatini. Ngaphezu kwalokhu, izakhamuzi zisashaqekile ngokubulalwa ngesihluku koMmeli uThulani Maseko ngoMasingana. 

UMaseko, nowayedume umhlaba wonkana, wabe engezinye zezishoshovu ezilwela izinguquko eSwatini, wabulawa enguSihlalo weMulti-stakeholder Forum (MSF). IMSF yabe isungulwe amaqembu nezinhlaka ezahlukene ezweni njengesithangami lapho kudingindwa futhi kocotshelelwana ngokungenziwa ukuze kufezeke eyezinguquko eSwatini. 

Ukubanjwa kwalolu khetho kuphinde kuveze ukungaboni ngasolinye kumaqembu nabaholi abehlukene abayingxenye yalabo abanentshisekelo yokubona izinguquko kwezepolitiki eSwatini. Kulamaqembu, kwabe kukhona ababekhankasela ukuthi ingangenwa eyokhetho ngaphambi kokuba kulungiswe izingqinamba ezikhona ezweni nokubalwa eyezingxoxo iSADC eyabe ithe izozigqugquzela. 

Elinye lamaqembu elimi kulokho yiPeople’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), nokungelinye elidala eSwatini nelisaqhubeka ukuba yiva kuHulumeni ngeyokubuswa kwezwe. 

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kukhona abaholi namaqembu anjengeSwaziland Liberation Movement (Swalimo), athi kubalulekile ukuba yingxenye yokhetho ngoba lokho kobe kwandisa amathuba okuthi amava abanawo ngezinguquko abazilangazelelayo nokumele zenzeke ezweni sebeyokwazi ukuzethula ezithebeni zikaHulumeni uma bephumelela ukuba amalungu ePhalamende. Sekuyobonakala kwimiphumela yokhetho ukuthi yiliphi iqhingasu elaliphusile. 

UMnu Senzo Ngubane, uNgoti kwezocwaningo lokudala ukubuyisana nokuthula ezwenikazi i-Afrika