DEBATE ON CELLPHONE MASTS RAGES ON

EZULWINI - The issue of the effects of radiation from cellphone masts next to residential areas caused an intellectual debate during the Ezulwini residents meeting on Tuesday.

The debate was sparked by a submission from Horst Saylor who branded the masts a silent killer.
The discussion was held during a meeting of Wards 1 and 2 stakeholders from Ezulwini who were participating in the budget and strategic plan of the municipality at Timbali Lodge.

Saylor alleged that recently one resident, who had one of the masts installed next to his house, fell sick and had to have a pacemaker fitted into his body.
This prompted Swazi MTN experts in attendance at the meeting to quickly jump to the defence of the infrastructure quoting several international studies suggesting that the effects were insignificant.

Saylor was adamant about the effects of the radiation. He said a snap survey with about 60 people in Ezulwini showed that at least 41 had been affected sometimes through headaches and sleepless nights.
“We are confronted with radiation the whole day. These masts are silent killers. In India they are being moved from residential areas,” he alleged.

However Lindani Dlamini, Swazi MTN Radio Manager said there was a large number of highly accredited research studies conducted that proved otherwise.
He said these included studies by the World Health Organisation one of which concluded, “Considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects.”
Saylor said he would be offering more evidence in about two weeks on the subject. He also said thanks to a gadget he was distributing that could be mounted on a cellphone, the effects of the radiation were minimal.

This prompted Dlamini to say such a statement showed that the masts are not the problem but instead radiation from numerous gadgets people use daily were the issue as other studies had shown. Even then, he said, the effects were minimal.
He said instead when the base station was closer to the cellphone user the effects were much less. He also clarified that it was not the cellphone mast structure that was being debated on but rather the antenna on the top of the structure.     

... high travel costs a deterrent to tourism

EZULWINI - Residents are calling on government to look into the issue of high air travel costs to Swaziland which they feel are a threat to the tourism industry.
The residents were in agreement that spending above E3 000 for a ticket to Swaziland was a deterrent to people who wanted to come to the kingdom.

Some said a person in South Africa would rather choose to travel to London than to spend so much money for a short flight of less than an hour to Swaziland.
Resident Horst Saylor described the travel rates as among the highest in the region. “With expensive flights we will struggle to get people coming in for conventions or workshops to be hosted here,” he noted.

Others noted that vehicle shuttle services between Swaziland and South Africa could soon put flights out of business as they were cheaper.
They also feared that the new airport at Sikhuphe would be too far to access and many people would prefer to go to South Africa by road.

Historical book in the pipeline

EZULWINI - The Municipal Council is in the process of producing an innovative communication tool in the form of a history book to lure more tourists to the town.
Residents have complained that there is a great need for the town to market the numerous services it has to offer tourists.
The Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Vusumutiwendvodza Matsebula, said they had produced marketing strategies like ‘Visit Ezulwini-Wota Utobona’ and a documentary that was also distributed internationally.
He said they were now taking it a step further by engaging a consultant to produce a book on the history of the town that would also serve as a marketing tool.
He urged residents with historical moments to share them with the council.

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