By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE: Local Swazis and in the diaspora united to build a house for Gogo Mathuntjwa, an elderly woman who never missed pro-democracy protests in eSwatini.

The project was facilitated by this Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini through his Fans Club Facebook page that commands a following of about two hundred thousand(200 000) members.

Swazis who are members of the editor’s Fans Club donated building material and money towards the construction of the house.

Gogo Mathuntjwa earlier told journalists outside the High Court in Mbabane during a protest that incarcerated Member of Parliament(MP) Bacede Mabuza was taking care of her and that she was struggling after his arrest.

“Bacede was taking care of me, now that he is inside prison, I am struggling,” she said.

Gogo Mathuntjwa has become a popular and a unifying figure for the pro-democracy movement, members of various political organizations normally visit her to donate groceries.

These organizations include, among others,the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress(NNLC), the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO), the Economic Freedom Fighters of Swaziland (EFFSWA), the Swaziland Democratic Party(SWADEPA) Sive Siyinqaba and the Swaziland People’s Liberation Movement(SPLM).

After the editor posted on his Fans Club on Facebook, requesting Swazis to honour the elderly political activist with a house, about ten thousand Rands(R10,000.00) was donated within four(4) days and the construction began soon thereafter. 

Richard Vilane, the Hosea Indvuna YenKhundla who has been appointed a Project Manager, thanked Swazis for uniting and to start  building  the house for Gogo.

“We thank the unity demonstrated by Swazis in building the house for Gogo, the construction has just started,” he said.

Abigail Jele, a PUDEMO member and Richard Vilane of SWALIMO agreed to volunteer and  manage the project for Gogo.