Bad roads blamed for shocking Swazi crash

MBABANE – Stung by criticism that the illegal transport of girls to the annual Reed Dance led to their deaths in an accident, the Swaziland government has opted to blame poor roads. “Buses cannot be used in the rural areas because of bad roads,” said MP Michael Masilela. The MP represents Lobamba where the Reed Dance is held. Between 40 000 and 80 000 Swazi girls and young women attended the cultural event this year, clad in traditional attire as they danced for King Mswati. Coming from all over the country, they are transported in open flatbed trucks. On Friday last week at sunset, three of these trucks collided when the driver of the first truck, who has been charged with culpable homicide, hit a car that police had directed to the road side. The accident occurred on a descent from a highway bridge at the Matsapha Industrial Estate outside Manzini. The trucks bearing the girls were travelling at between 80 and 100 kph and were packed with 50 girls each when the first tipped over. The first official fatality numbers given by police were 13 accident victims, ranging from ages 11-17. Organisers of the event were taken to task by parents of the dead and injured for not hiring buses. Masilela and other government officials have responded that the condition of rural roads precludes all but the use of trucks for passenger transport. This does not explain why the trucks involved in the accident were used in the urban area where the accident occurred and on the country’s best highway that links Mbabane with Manzini. The claim is also at odds with the regular use of passenger buses in even the country’s most remote areas. Bus and roadfreight truck owners have long complained to MPs about the poor state of some rural roads that they say cause vehicle damage and additional expense for their operations, but they still service passengers and clients using those roads.