Swaziland’s Speaker of the House of Assembly Themba Msibi was
suspended
from office for seven days after an allegation that he conspired to oust the
Prime Minister from office.
It was one of four allegations that have surfaced in
the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute
monarch.
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in
effect owned by the King, reported that Msibi was suspended on 17 June 2015 and
a parliamentary investigation started against him for four allegations.
The newspaper listed them as follows:
‘A newspaper
article that implicates Msibi in interfering in the personnel recruitment
process in Parliament.
‘Misrepresentation he made in Cameroon during the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association, that he had been nominated into the local chapter of
CPA.
‘He was responsible for the dissolution of the Parliamentary joint house
committee.
‘That he was one of the conspirators to oust the Prime Minister [Barnabas
Dlamini] from office.’
Msibi then went to the Swazi High Court to seek a
ruling that the House of Assembly did not have the power to suspend a Speaker.
On Wednesday (24 June 2015) the High
Court ruled that the House of assembly investigation should be halted
pending further deliberation by the court.
Msibi was a controversial
choice as Speaker of the House of Assembly. He was elected unopposed after
all other candidates withdrew from the election. Msibi was considered to be the
choice of King Mswati.
In October 2013, following the national election, in
which political parties were banned from taking part, the House of Assembly was
ready to elect a Speaker but it was adjourned for three days to allow Msibi
time to get his nomination papers entered.
The adjournment was forced by Clerk of Parliament
Ndvuna Dlamini. The adjournment caused confusion in the Swazi Parliament
because the kingdom’s Constitution suggests the election of Speaker had to take
place at the first sitting of Parliament following a national election.
Once news that King Mswati wanted Msibi in place,
other candidates withdrew.
Among those withdrawing was Prince Guduza, the Speaker
of the previous Parliament. He was widely thought of as the first choice of
Parliamentarians and until the King’s intervention, was expected to be elected.
King Mswati III had a week earlier appointed Msibi
to the House of Assembly. Msibi did not stand as a candidate in the national
election held on 20 September 2013. The king appoints 10 members of the House.
At the time, the Swazi
Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by the King, ran a story recalling
Msibi’s past life. Msibi had at one
time complained that there were ‘too many foreigners’ in Swaziland. The
newspaper also reported that Msibi was once photographed by journalists with
his trousers down in a car with a woman who was not his wife. Msibi later
apologised to King Mswati for embarrassment caused.
See also
‘KING’S
MAN’ STANDS FOR SPEAKER JOB
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/10/kings-man-stands-for-speaker-job.html
CONFUSION AS SPEAKER NOT ELECTED
CONFUSION AS SPEAKER NOT ELECTED
DISSIDENT
STANDS AS HOUSE SPEAKER
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