Former Pumula Member of Parliament Sichelesile Mahlangu says she is ready to reclaim her seat at the upcoming by-elections.
Mahlangu lost her seat after she was recalled from Parliament after the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) announced that they were no longer members of the party.
Speaking during a recent online meeting organised by the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD), Mahlangu said she will contest under Nelson Chamisa’s party
“I am ready for the by-elections because I have been on the ground. When I was recalled I didn’t stop working, I continued working in my constituency. I am ready even if they come tomorrow I am not scared,” said Mahlangu.
“I was wrongly recalled so why should I punish innocent citizens who voted for me in Pumula.”
Mahlangu also berated the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for declaring her seat vacant even after she had launched an appeal against her dismissal.
“ZEC is aware that there is an appeal but all of a sudden they declare that there is a constituency that is vacant, are we not at the same time setting a wrong precedent because it can happen again next time,” said Mahlangu.
She also criticised ZEC for suspending mobile voter registration saying it disenfranchising a lot of Zimbabweans who wanted to exercise their right to vote.
“I think it’s abuse Zimbabweans because I still remember when we launched Ekhaya vote we were promised that we were going to have the voter registration, all of a sudden everything was closed due to Covid-19
“When we are looking at the processes we feel that somewhere, somehow we are not safe as Zimbabweans, not following the constitution because we should follow the constitution.”
She also called on the electoral management body to conduct nationwide voter education and awareness programmes.
“Going out in rural areas, I noticed a number of things, people in rural areas don’t even know that there are by-elections, they don’t even know that there are vacant seats due to recalls and deaths. So, one way or the other to us the by-election is not fair,” she said.
