Opening of new highway and promise of road improvements James Hall FED UP with antiquated, pothole-infested dirt roads that wreak havoc on public- and private-sector vehicles, the Swaziland government has declared ‘war’ on all untarred roads, to the relief of the road freight industry. “Untarred roads have the problem of turning dangerous during the rainy season. We can never underestimate this fact as a contributor to the incidences of road accidents,” said Minster of Transport and Public Works, Elijah Shongwe. Shongwe spoke at the commencement of a refurbishment (including tarring) of a major road in the southern Shiselweni region. The work began immediately after the completion of a new highway in the area, intended to open southern Swaziland to industrial growth. The Minister said the completion of this route, dubbed the Yithi Abantu Highway, from the central commercial hub Manzini and the country’s main industrial development at Matsapha to the Mahamba Border Post with South Africa, would reduce road freight transport time and cut down on accidents. As Shiselweni’s industrial park develops, the Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA), charged with enticing foreign investment into the country, told FTW that no real effort was being put into luring more road freight companies into that part of the kingdom. “We find secondary industries like transport tend to show up on their own initiative. We are seeking primary industries, like garment makers,” said director of Foreign Direct Investment, Natie Dlamini.
