Tourist attack prompts Mpumalanga security clampdown

Mpumalanga security clampdown James Hall ARMED BANDIT attacks on tourists in South Africa headed to Swaziland for a holiday side trip have prompted police authorities in Mpumalanga to step up security, to the relief of Swazi road haulage operators. "It is sad that it took the robbery of tourists to alert South African police that the N12 highway is unacceptably dangerous for vehicular traffic. But the new security arrangements will hopefully ease the danger of truck hijackings," said the manager of a large Matsapha-based express cargo service, whose trucks have been hijacked on the route. Forty wealthy Taiwanese businessmen were recently robbed of R2 million when bandits dressed as South African police and brandishing AK-47 assault rifles stopped the bus in which they were travelling to Swaziland to greet visiting President Chen Shui-bian of the Republic of China. Last week, Swaziland's education ministry suspended 40 student trips to Durban and Gauteng scheduled for next month's school break because of highway robberies. Faced with the loss of tourism revenue, Mpumalanga will offer police escorts to tourist groups. No similar protection has been proposed for road freight vehicles, but a snap survey showed the kingdom's road freight operators are optimistic that the heightened police presence will make roads safer. Swaziland imports 80% of its goods and services from South Africa. 60% of Swaziland's exports are absorbed by South Africa. With the exception of coal, which is moved by rail from Swaziland to Gauteng, nearly all goods travel by road. Truck hijackings are unknown in Swaziland, but the local freight managers say security becomes a major concern when their vehicles are in South Africa.