The Nkulumane By-Elections Meet the Candidates Town Hall Debate, held yesterday at Nkulumane Hall, exploded into heated exchanges as candidate Mothusi Ndlovu, popularly known as Madlela Sikhobokhobo, fiercely defended his roots after being accused of not belonging to the constituency.
Running under the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) aligned to Sengezo Tshabangu, Madlela found himself at the centre of intense heckling when sections of the crowd loudly claimed he was not from Nkulumane.
Unfazed, he shot back — challenging anyone in doubt to verify his residential and voting status.
“Check the Voter’s Roll and see where I vote,” he declared, sparking both applause and fresh jeers from the audience.
Turning defence into offence, Madlela went further, accusing fellow candidates of lacking genuine ties to the constituency.
He claimed that almost every candidate seated at the front “does not even sleep in Nkulumane,” despite campaigning to represent its residents.
He also alleged that some of the loudest disruptions in the hall came from supporters transported from outside the area by rival political parties with the intention of destabilising the debate and “decampaigning” him.
The Town Hall Meeting was repeatedly interrupted by shouting, chanting, and clashes between rival groups, forcing organisers to intervene several times. Many residents expressed disappointment, saying the noise made it difficult to hear candidates’ plans on pressing issues like service delivery, youth unemployment, drug abuse, and water shortages.
The Nkulumane by-election — already charged due to factional battles and heightened competition — is expected to intensify further as candidates push into the final stretch of campaigning.
