Swaziland spruces up roads for August summit

James Hall MBABANE - Swaziland is sprucing up its road infrastructure in preparation for a British Commonwealth Heads of State SMART Partnership Dialogue Summit in August. The east road to the Matsapha Industrial Estate, which is heavily utilised by road freight traffic from the country’s heaviest concentration of industrial firms, is being widened and rehabilitated. The road connects with the national airport north of the industrial estate, which is also being remodeled to receive VIPs. Government considers the summit its prestige event this year, and is investing the R900 000 each Commonwealth country is required to pay to finance it on delegate housing, conference centres and infrastructure improvements. New roads to the homes and conference centres are being built for commercial and other traffic, and the regular road system is also benefiting in places.