E880M ROAD COSTS MAY ESCALATE

MANZINI – Broke government’s arrogance regarding the compensation of the people affected by the E880 million Mbadlane-Manzini Road is highly likely to result in the escalation of costs.

The escalations would be a direct result of the delays the contractors are facing due to the fact that government is not willing to compensate the affected property owners according to the laid down procedures and regulations as per the Acquisition of Property Act, 1961.

According to the Act, matters considered in determining compensation, the Board, in determining the amount of compensation to be awarded for property compulsorily acquired or to be acquired under this Act, shall take into consideration the following matters, namely: the market value of the property at the date of the service of the notice of acquisition under or the date of publication of the notice, whichever date is the earlier and any increase in the value of any other property of person interested like: to accrue from the use to which the property acquired will be put.

Despite this clearly stated condition within the Act, government appears to be hell-bent on paying some of the affected property developers a meagre E100 000, in total disregard of the legislation. This is what has resulted in some property owners being livid and stalling the project.

One of the property owners, who is up in arms with government over compensation, is Kai Kai Holiday Park owner Percy Sigwane. The businessman and government are at loggerheads regarding the payment of compensation. For his complex, which houses a bottle store, bar, butchery and mini supermarket, he wants nothing less than E5 million, but the Times SUNDAY understands that government is offering a meagre E100 000. His home is also built on the land where the road was designed to pass through.

Speaking to this reporter, Sigwane said he is not a monkey to be enticed by peanuts as he has, for four times rejected government’s offer of E100 000 for his structure at Hhelehhele, Manzini.
Sigwane has already made it clear to the state that failure to meet his demand, government should forget about the prospect of having him forfeiting his structure for such a meagre amount.

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