Times Of Swaziland: 3 PROBASE TRUCKS SET ALIGHT AT KANCESI

3 PROBASE TRUCKS SET ALIGHT AT KANCESI
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BY KWANELE DLAMINI AND MBONGISENINDZIMANDZE on 15/07/2021 08:45:00


MBABANE – Just as the country begins the long journey to recovery from acts of
vandalism and burning of property, three trucks belonging to Probase Eswatini
(Pty) Ltd were set alight on Tuesday night.
The trucks, said to be worth E1.2 million,  were parked at the company’s
construction camp at KaNcesi under Nkhaba Constituency. The company has been
contracted to construct a 12.4km road from KaNcesi to Mtjopane at Eluvinjelweni
under Maphalaleni Constituency. It remains unknown who burnt the trucks - a
water tanker and two tipper trucks- and for what reason. In an interview, the
security guard, Elias Shabangu, who is based at the construction camp –where
some workers and equipment are housed - said at around 7:40pm, he heard a pop
sound and noticed fire under the water tanker.  It is suspected that the person
who started the fire might have thought the water tanker was a fuel tanker since
the suspect first burnt it yet it was in the middle of the other trucks and they
were surrounded by graders and other vehicles and equipment.
Electricity
Elias said it was dark at the site and there was no electricity at the
construction camp. He stated that he did not have a flashlight in his possession
and he was concentrating on the area where diesel was stored. The burnt trucks
were parked a couple of metres from where he was when the fire started.
According to Elias, moments after the water tanker had been set alight, he heard
another pop sound and saw flames underneath one of the tipper trucks. At this
point, Elias said he realised that the trucks were being burnt and he rushed to
nearby homesteads and to his neighbour to raise the alarm. “I told him that
‘naku lana sekusha timoto tebelungu (my employers’ vehicles were on
fire),” he said. The security guard further said he did not see anyone on the
premises because it was already dark.
Elias, who also resides in the area, said his neighbour called his superiors and
when he returned with his neighbour to the premises, they found residents
already trying to put out the flames. He said he was certain that the fire was
started by someone. “Although I did not see anyone, I can tell you that the
fire did not start on its own. I did not go near because it was dark and I did
not have a flashlight as I might have got hurt,” he added.  Elias said the
residents, including the youth and employees - most of whom were locals - did
their best to put out the fire. The Eswatini National Fire and Emergency
Services personnel, according to Elias, were called and they allegedly took long
to arrive. He said the residents tried to use the fire extinguishers in the
trucks and they were used up before the fire could be extinguished. Tengetile
Mdluli, the Clerk of the company, said they employed about 300 workers, mostly
from the area, and as the project moved to other stages, they would hire more
staff. She said work was suspended yesterday in light of the incident.
Construction would continue on Monday.