SOME Members of Parliament (MPs) have raised concerns that the 15 kilometres allocated by government for the rehabilitation of community road networks in each constituency are inadequate.
The legislators said the limited coverage has triggered tensions within inkhundla councils.
The concerns follow a recent violent confrontation under Mpolonjeni Inkhundla involving MP Kwanele Ndzimandze and Bucopho Meshack Gamedze during an inspection of feeder roads damaged by heavy rains and earmarked for rehabilitation.
Under the programme, which is implemented by Microprojects, government has allocated 15 kilometres per constituency, translating to a total of 1 035 kilometres nationwide for the rehabilitation of community roads.
Some legislators said the allocation falls short, particularly in constituencies with as many as 10 chiefdoms. As a result, some chiefdoms receive less than two kilometres of rehabilitated roads, while others are left out entirely. This imbalance has reportedly fuelled disputes among council members.
Sources alleged that disagreements have emerged in some inkhundla councils, with certain bucophos allegedly disregarding guidance from MPs and tindvuna tetinkhundla. The bucophos reportedly argue that they are responsible for development at chiefdom level, while MPs should focus on law-making and policy formulation in Parliament.
According to the sources, the limited kilometres have created perceptions of unequal treatment among chiefdoms, further deepening divisions within councils. However, some constituencies are reportedly addressing the challenge collaboratively by prioritising the most deteriorated roads.
Tindvuna tetinkhundla, through their chairperson Siboniso Mondlane, strongly criticised what they described as persistent interference by some MPs in constituency governance in our Saturday publication.
Madlangempisi MP Allen Vilane said the 15 kilometres allocated to each constituency were inadequate and had fuelled divisions within some inkhundla councils. He noted that Madlangempisi has seven chiefdoms, leaving each with about two kilometres despite extensive road damage.
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To prevent the simmering conflict, Vilane said he had engaged the indvuna yenkhundla to agree on a fair allocation. He added that the Deputy Prime Minister recently visited the area and witnessed the extent of the damage.
Mayiwane MP Sicelo Dlamini welcomed the allocation but said it fell far short of addressing road challenges. He described the programme as a pilot project and expressed hope that additional kilometres would be allocated in future. He added that Mayiwane had avoided conflict by clearly identifying priority roads.
Ngudzeni MP Charles Ndlovu said while funding was limited, government had prioritised blading feeder roads as a longer-term solution. He said the Microprojects initiative had not caused disputes due to strong cooperation within the council.
Mhlume MP Sifiso Magagula said although a grader had been deployed, rehabilitation of feeder and community roads had not yet begun. He added that the constituency was engaging stakeholders such as the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation to complement government efforts, as government was currently rehabilitating the main road.
Kukhanyeni MP Apollo Maphalala said a grader had been allocated for road rehabilitation this week, with each bucopho selecting one priority community road due to limited funds. He said remaining roads would be attended to later.
Mkhiweni MP Mandla Tshawuka said there were no conflicts in his constituency, as stakeholders understood the programme’s limitations and were prioritising the most severely damaged roads while government sought additional funding.
