MUDDY ROADS: 2 FAMILIES STRUGGLE TO BURY DECEASED

MANZINI - Sending off deceased family members and loved ones should at least come with easy logistics, but this was not the case for some Mkhulamini and Maliyaduma residents this past weekend.

This is because the hearses could not travel on the muddy slippery road at Mkhulamini, which was affected by the torrential rains. Mkhulamini is a rural area in the outskirts of Manzini, which is under Kukhanyeni Constituency. On a normal day, it only takes about 20 minutes to get to the area from the Manzini town.

 Cracks

The road was regravelled about a year ago, but due to the incessant rains, cracks that have developed into dongas have formed, making it difficult for vehicles to travel. A family that had recently lost its relative in the area shared that they had to use their own car to meet the hearse which could not travel on the muddy road.

The family member explained that they travelled for about six kilometres to the meeting area where the road was severely damaged and slippery, to get their loved one. He revealed that since they were burying on a Saturday, it meant they had to typically dig the grave on Friday, which happened to be on a rainy day. He said they encountered challenges with digging the muddy soil at the family gravesite.

Items

The family member also shared that it was difficult to organise the funeral as cars had to park far away from the home to deliver items such as chairs, a tent and groceries. He said if it were not for community members who offered their help, the funeral would not have been successful. He appreciated the residents who assisted in their time of need.

“It is a pity that funerals are events that should go on be it rain or sunshine - you can never cancel them.
Right now, despite seeing how the rains have affected the roads, we cannot cancel because a lot has gone into planning and arranging for our relative to be laid to rest,” he said. He said a lot of family members and friends had already called to inform the family that they could not make it.

Meanwhile, some relatives who were on their way to the bereaved homestead from town, were found waiting on the roadside with their luggage, hoping to get a lift from any vehicle that may be passing. “We have been standing here for close to two hours without any vehicle in sight. Getting here was also a challenge as the public transport that ferried us from town left us here,” shared the relative. In the same breath, a Dlamini family who was burying their loved one at Maliyaduma said they had to wait for a good four hours for a hearse to deliver their deceased relative.

Muddy

The family member said they were fortunate enough that the vehicle was able to finally navigate through the muddy road successfully. Kukhanyeni Constituency Indvuna Yenkhundla Remember Matsenjwa said the muddy road was a serious issue, and many different attempts had been made to control or prevent the road from becoming too muddy.
Matsenjwa said, last year, the constituency approached one of the prominent construction companies to assist them with used tar which was poured on a stretch of the Maliyaduma Road.

Nonetheless, Matsenjwa said this was not enough for the entire road. The indvuna yenkhundla added that the road issue would be a challenge to his fellow constituents, who were burying their loved ones. He said it was his wish that when the budget was allocated, there would be a specific amount set aside for the refurbishment of the road. “My prayer is that there could be installation of tar in my constituency road because the issue has been going on for a while,” he said.

Rainfall

Worth noting is that the damage of the road happens when the country is currently experiencing incessant rainfall which resulted in about over 40 schools suspending classes due to rivers and bridges flooding in the four regions. The heavy rainfall resulted in various communities being isolated, as bridges were overflowing, making it impossible to cross over. Gravel roads were slippery, such that public transport workers parked their vehicles.

This left pupils, teachers and other people failing to carry out their every day business. In the Lubombo Region, about 20 schools had half-empty classrooms due to the bad weather and flooded rivers, resulting in low-level bridges being submerged. Another reason for the suspension of lessons was that some pupils turned up soaked. Head teachers resolved to turn them back to their respective homes.

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