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OVER E5 BILLION NEEDED FOR ROADS UPGRADE

26/07/2022 06:56:00 Khulile Thwala

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MBABANE – The estimated cost of the impending upgrade of unpaved gravel roads to tar roads scheduled by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport is over E5 billion.

The ministry has set a programme of action to upgrade several unpaved roads from gravel standard to bituminous surfaced roads. This was stated by the Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, when responding to a motion that the minister should furnish the house, within 30 days, with a clear schedule, realistic timelines and budget estimates to be requested in the financial year 2022/23. This motion was moved by Siphocosini Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi Matsebula and Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini. According to the minister, funding required for the upgrading of roads that are now due for upgrading to bituminous paved standard (tar) was E5 115 378 644.

“This will cover about 401km of presently unpaved roads. The budget for the implementation of this programme was requested for the Financial Year 2022/23 and the response was negative due to financial constraints. The ministry has prioritised the under listed roads for upgrading as and when funds become available. Funds for all the roads mentioned below have not been secured, with the exception of D78, DI2 and MR21. In respect of D78, the ministry undertook the construction of 6.5km from Siphocosini to Sigangeni,” stated the minister. He further said in the current financial year, the ministry shall construct another 6.5km from Motshane to Sigangeni. In respect of D12, the ministry had undertaken the construction of 8.5km from Siteki Town Council to Mafasitelo area. “The ministry shall carry out the construction of a further 7.1km from Mafasitelo area to eNdlalane area in Maphungwane. In respect of MR21, the ministry has constructed 6.5km from Siphambanweni area to KaGamedze area. The ministry shall further upgrade 5.9km from KaGamedze area to Nsalitje Border Gate,” submitted the minister.

Motion

Worth noting is that the motion had indicated that the budget would be scheduled for projects such as the upgrading or paving of D78, D120, D81, D12, MR20, MR2 and MR21; also the rehabilitation of the extremely damaged major roads like Mhlaleni – Nhlangano, Motshane – Matsamo roads, etc. Also included was the regravelling or heavy blading of other gravel regional roads and maintenance or blading of feeder roads. Meanwhile, at the beginning of the financial year, the ministry stated that it set a programme of action to maintain several roads that now required maintenance interventions such as rehabilitation, resealing.

“Funding required for the rehabilitating of currently paved roads that now require rehabilitation or resealing is about E4 400 000 000. Rehabilitation in this instance means the re-construction of roads from base layer. This will cover about 506km of presently paved roads. Funds for rehabilitation of roads were not available in the Financial Year 2021/22. The ministry was only able to get support for the maintenance of roads. “With those resources, the ministry undertook maintenance of MR1 (Motshane-Matsamo), MR3 (Ngwenya-Manzini), MR19 (Mbabane-Mhlambanyatsi), DI2 (Siteki-Good Shepherd), MR9 (Mhlaleni-Salem), MR5 (Luve-Mafutseni) and MR3 (Mbhadlane-Simunye) roads. In addition to these roads, the ministry constructed and rehabilitated 21 low level crossings countrywide and fixed several road failures. “If we do not rehabilitate the roads, the same maintenance works that have been undertaken in the present financial year shall have to be done in the future years.”