By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Percy Simelane,the King Spokesperson says, they have no record of a nominee who has been disqualified for criticizing King Mswati.

Responding to a questionnaire from this Swaziland News on Thursday afternoon amid reports suggesting that,some pro-democracy aspiring Members of Parliament(MPs) were avoiding to criticize the King amid vetting by the police and the Elections Commission, the King’s Spokesperson said nominees are only disqualified for failure to comply with the dictates of the law or procedure.

The Times of eSwatini reported last week that Simo Mamba, a political activist was forced to apologize after shouting “Amandla” when accepting a nomination, this happened at Ngevini uMphakatsi under Siphofaneni Inkhundla.

“We have no record of a nominee disqualified because he/she criticized the King.In our experience, disqualification has always been as a result of failure to fully comply with the dictates of the law or or procedure.Journalistically and in terms of the Law of Communication self-editing exists even when there is no danger or threat.This is what we want to believe is the case with the nominees in question,” said the King’s Spokesperson.

A questionnaire was sent to Mbonisi Bhembe, the Spokesperson of the Elections and Boundaries Commission(EBC), however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments by this publication, Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said, any person who apologized merely for shouting “Amandla” cannot change the Tinkhundla system of governance from within.

“As a movement,we cannot stop people from taking that route saying they will fight from within but, we must tell them the truth that, it won’t be possible to do so. A person who has been forced to apologize merely for shouting “Amandla”, imagine what will happen if that person can shout “Mswati must fall?These people are just going there to fill-up their pockets,” said the PUDEMO President.