Madam,
It is with a great deal of frustration that I compose this letter, as these issues seem to get worse instead of improving.
First, due to the state of the roads at Matsapha Industrial Site, I begin to really wonder if we have any sort of Town Council. I know that the powers that be will instantly blame the rain we are having currently.
The roads at Matsapha have been steadily getting worse over a long period of time. In fact, the state that some of these roads are in now makes them nearly impossible for a normal small vehicle to negotiate. Take, for instance, the road that runs from the Post Office up to the Lifestyle Centre. This road has chasms across it in places, and traffic literally is brought to a halt.
In the Times of Eswatini publication (September 30), there was an article where the CEO of the council was talking about the surplus they have. Yes, it is easy to accumulate the surplus if it is not spent on anything.
Equally deaf to residents’ complaints is the Municipal Council of Manzini. I reside at the Extension 6 area of Manzini. And yes, my rates are totally up to date. There are many issues that plague some of the residents there; numerous complaints have been lodged, but as usual, the municipal council seems to not attempt to resolve these issues.
Some of them are noise that can continue for up to 12 hours, making sleep impossible for many residents in the area. Not so great if one has people who may have health problems; this is an extra punishment being inflicted on them. Another is with maintenance. There are places where trees, for instance, interfere with power lines, especially in rainy, windy weather. These trees are on council property, so they cannot be cut by residents. When this is brought to the council’s notice, they tell you they have to consult or coordinate with the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC).
Needless to say, this goes on for months without anything being done. Some roads in the area, which were tarred before, now no longer resemble a road. Drive through Madonsa to experience this. The Mavuso bypass road is a case in point. The project was started, a section was rehabilitated, and then suddenly stopped abruptly. Driving that road is a challenge and can be dangerous, as drivers are swerving wildly to avoid potholes, etc. The situation in Manzini City itself is also pretty abnormal. It was decided to divert all kombi traffic through the city, resulting in confusion, especially when heading out to Matsapha. The robot at this point above Riverstone is normally not working. This becomes a free-for-all with pedestrians and vehicles fighting to move. We also do not seem to have a Traffic Department, as they are never at the place where they will smooth the flow of traffic; instead, they will be found at circles or robots, suddenly bringing traffic to a stop, in many cases dangerously in my opinion.
One could go on and on. The point I am trying to make is that not everything is perfect and most reasonable people realise that; however, when any attempt to improve the situation seems totally absent from all the parties, then we will end up with failed cities that are not worth living in. We have to really get a better quality of people to manage our cities.
F. duPreez
Extension 6 – Manzini
