No successor 5 months after Mandvulo’s death
MBABANE – Deceased former Prime Minister Prince Maphevu was replaced within 29 days. Prince Maphevu died in office just like Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini who passed away on December 13, 2020. Five months after his death, Mandvulo has not yet been replaced.
Pertaining to Prince Maphevu, he died on October 25, 1979, at the age of 57. He was replaced on November 25, 1979.
He was succeeded by Prince Mabandla Ndawombili Fred Dlamini. Prince Mabandla is still alive and is a member of Liqoqo, an advisory council to His Majesty the King and Ingwenyama of Eswatini.
Back to Prince Maphevu, he served the country as the prime minister for three years while Mandvulo was in political office for about two years.
He (Mandvulo) was the country’s 10th prime minister. He passed away while undergoing treatment at the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is the same hospital where former Prime Minister Obed Dlamini died in 2017.
Officially, he (Mandvulo) died of an illness precipitated by COVID-19. Themba Masuku, the substantive Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), has been the country’s acting prime minister since Mandvulo was hospitalised.
Mandvulo was first treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Mbabane Government Hospital before he was transferred to Lubombo Referral Hospital in Siteki, which government converted to a COVID-19 treatment facility. The deceased ex-PM was then airlifted to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on December 1, 2020. He died 12 days after he was admitted there.
The DPM continued to serve as the acting prime minister after his death. He (Masuku) holds the position of prime minister on an acting basis in terms of Section 71 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland (Eswatini).
Reads Section 71: “Where the prime minister is absent from Eswatini or is by reason of illness or any other cause unable to exercise the functions conferred on the prime minister by this Constitution or any other law, those functions shall be exercised by the deputy prime minster or where the deputy prime minister is for any reason unable to exercise the functions of the office of the prime minister, by such other minister as the King may authorise in writing for a maximum period not exceeding three months.”
LONGEST-SERVING ACTING PM
Masuku is now arguably the longest-serving acting PM in the country.
Ben Mshamndane Nsibandze, now late, held the office of PM on an acting basis for 29 days. He occupied the office after the death of Prince Maphevu. Andreas Fakudze, the then Chief Officer of the King’s Office, held the position of acting PM for 10 days. Fakudze, who died in 2001 in a car accident, was in office from October 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993.
Paul Mshwepheletane Shabangu also served the country as acting PM from September 29, 2003, to November 6, 2003. He was appointed after the Cabinet was dissolved in preparation for a general election. He was in office until the King appointed Absalom Themba Dlamini, known as AT. Shabangu was in office as the acting PM for 38 days.
Sishayi Simon Nxumalo served as acting PM from May 8 1996, to July 26, 1996. He was in office until His Majesty King Mswati III appointed a substantive PM in Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini. Nxumalo, who died on February 25, 2000, was appointed as acting PM after the dismissal of Prince Mbilini.
Bheki Dlamini served as acting PM of Eswatini from 18 September 18, 2008, to October 23, 2008. The late Vincent Mhlanga also served as acting prime minister from August to October 2013 and in September to October 2018.
For clarity, Mhlanga, Shabangu and Dlamini (Bheki) were appointed as acting PM because there was no Cabinet in office.
Tradition has it that the chief officer of the King’s Office assumes the position of acting prime minister upon dissolution of Cabinet in preparation for a general election. Due to cultural and political sensitivities, comment was not sought from Liqoqo, an advisory council to the King.
Mduduzi Gina, the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), said as much as public administration appeared normal under Masuku’s leadership, he would, however, face some challenges with regard to exercising certain functions that are ordinarily the preserve of the substantive PM. He said an officer holding a position on an acting basis would never execute the duties of that office freely. “You can’t perform like the substantive officer.
Knowing that you are acting in this position is something which will limit your scope of duties, and you may be reminded by some people that you are actually acting, not the substantive office holder,” Gina said.
On that score, he said the substantive position should be given serious consideration, particularly because the country had served the mourning period.
HOW PM IS APPOINTED?
Legend has it that the prime minister is appointed at a cattle byre at Ludzidzini Royal Residence in Lobamba. Ludzidzini Royal Residence is Eswatini’s traditional headquarters.
It is understood that the emergence of COVID-19 could have had an effect on the appointment of the new PM.
It is feared that thousands of emaSwati might heed the royal command and attend the national meeting at the cattle byre, thus exposing them to COVID-19 infection.
Sources said there was also a suggestion within royal circles that 500 people should be allowed to enter the 10 000-seater kraal on the day the King would appoint the prime minister.
Section 66 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland (Eswatini) states that there shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the PM, DPM and such number of ministers as the King, after consultations with the PM, may deem necessary for the purpose of administering and executing the functions of the government.
Subsection 2 provides that the prime minister shall be the chairman of the Cabinet and leader of government business in Parliament.
Section 67 then states that the King shall appoint the PM from among members of the House acting on recommendation of the King’s advisory council. It is provided in subsection 2 that the King shall appoint ministers from both chambers of Parliament on the recommendation of the PM.
It is said that at least half the number of ministers shall be appointed from among the elected members of the House.