PEOPLE SEEK HANDOUTS FROM NEW MP

Times of Swaziland

30 September 2008

Voters want Esther to pay

MBABANE – Since winning the elections over the weekend, people are flocking to Esther Dlamini’s home in droves.Before 10am yesterday, the Mbabane East MP had already had over 60 visitors (both young and old) who came to ask for her assistance, which is mostly financial.

"Some people are asking me to help them with school fees for their children while the elderly men and women ask me to buy them food.

"I have noticed that poverty is very high here because people do not get food donations from the disaster task team led by Ben Mshamndane Nsibandze, instead they have to fend for themselves," Dlamini noted.

Dlamini said of the 60 people she had met yesterday morning about 20 of them had serious problems which needed her urgent attention.

"Some of these people are on ARVs, but do not have food to eat yet they can’t take the medication on empty stomachs so I had to buy them the food," she said.

The legislator said people began coming to her place as soon as they heard that she had won.

"Some people camped at my home the whole of Saturday night in anticipation of the election results," Dlamini stated.

...she spends E30 000 on campaign

MBABANE – Mbabane East Member of Parliament Esther Dlamini spent E30 000 buying t-shirts for voters during her election campaign.

The legislator, who this past weekend scored a landslide victory over her bitter rival Jabulani Nxumalo and lesser known Eunice Sikhosana, said she bought close to 2000 t-shirts which she distributed amongst the electorate.

Link http://www.times.co.sz/index.php?news=1827