First Swazi toll set for October opening

James Hall MBABANE - Swaziland’s first toll way is set to open in October. Motorists on the new highway connecting the Oshoek border post, which handles most commercial traffic from Gauteng, will encounter a toll plaza en route to the capital Mbabane. The toll way is modelled on similar installations in South Africa and, more recently, Mozambique. Government planners say it is an attempt to recoup some of the R170million spent on the new highway, which significantly diminishes travel time to the Matsapha Industrial Estate and improves safety. “We had hoped to have to toll way operating by June, but technical reasons caused a four-month delay,” said Evart Madlopa, principal secretary at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. No price structure for vehicles has been announced.