Corruption allegations beset new Swazi highway

James Hall MBABANE - Suspicious of cost overruns that have yet again grossly inflated the price of a new highway, the Swaziland House of Senate has instituted a probe of the Ministry of Works and Construction, which Senators describe as a hotbed of corruption. The revised price of the Mbabane to Oshoek highway from R85 million to over R417 million sparked lawmakers' desire for an investigation of the ministry, but the ministry has been linked to kickback deals and other scandals for a decade. "The most common scam is when ministry officials alert their friends to the routes of new highways. Land is then purchased along these routes, some minor improvements made, and then a big payback comes when government must acquire the land and pay compensation," one senator told his colleagues.