‘DON’T DARE TOUCH THOSE GRAVES’

MBABANE – It’s a grave concern in the literal sense. Residents from four communities under the Mangcongco and Mhlambanyatsi Constituencies are unhappy that the Swaziland Railway wants to exhume and relocate close to 100 graves belonging to their family members and relatives.

The Category A public enterprise wants the graves removed because it intends to undertake a rail link project.
  This project is expected to cost the company millions of Emalangeni and the rail line is expected to travel from the Sandlane Border Post, past Bhunya and link with the one at Sidvokodvo.
The graves that the Swaziland Railway wants to exhume and relocate are at Zondwako, Mbangave, Mlindazwe and Zenukeni.

Some residents in these areas are against the removal of the graves. Others believe this is ‘unSwazi,’ while another group complained that the new sites where the graves will be relocated are very far from their respective homesteads.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity argued that the railway line should be constructed along other areas, which are far from the graves.

“We have plenty of land in this area which could be used for purposes of the railway line and we wonder why they decided to disturb our forefathers and dig them up. Disturbing dead people is against our culture,” he said.
Another resident said he had no problem with the relocation of the graves, provided the company found suitable land close to their homesteads.
“We are Swazis and we love kuphahla every now and then. This is the only way we get to communicate with our ancestors. The areas which have been identified for the re-burial of our relatives are far from our homes. We will have to travel long distances when ‘visiting’ our beloved deceased relatives and that is not fair,” he said.

Swaziland Railway has said the project will go ahead.
In fact, the public enterprise has even invited interested parties to forward their tender applications for the exhumation, relocation and re-burial of the graves.
The company’s Corporate Communications Manager Sive Manana said to his knowledge, the parastatal engaged all the residents to be affected by the exercise and a consensus was reached.

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