SHISELWENI: Shiselweni 1 inkhundla residents are threatening to organise a protest march to petition government, they accuse Minister Christian Ntjangase who doubles as a Member of Parliament for the area of diverting the long awaited Probase project to his own residence at the expense of the people who are struggling to access basic services due to poor condition of the road.
The D49 road that has made life difficult for the residents for the past years connects Masiphula, Mavundluthi, Mabonabulawe, Manyandeni, Hhuhhuma, Sivule, Barsheba and Mantabe, during the rainy season, it becomes slippery, making it difficult even for security agents vehicles to access the areas when fighting crime.
Speaking to this Swaziland News, Sikhumbuzo Phakathi, the residents representative said the upgrading of road D49 (Masiphula-Mkhwakhweni road) Probase was approved back in 2018, but surprisingly government upgraded Nondela road(D48) leading to the homes of former Education Minister Wilson Ntshangase, former Correctional services Commissioner Mzuthini Ntshangase and the current Public Service Minister Christian Ntshangase who also doubles as that area’s Member of Parliament (MP)
Phakathi described this as pure favouritism, abuse of public office and tax payers money, he maintained that they will march to government to demand for what rightfully belongs to them.
‘‘We will mobilise the community to petition the Ministry of Public Works to intervene and do the D49 road as a delayed special project. We will engage in the most aggressive social mobilisation to ask government to understand our plight’’, he said.
It has been disclosed that the area is affected by crime and the poor condition of the road made it difficult for the police to access the communities when dealing with criminal activities.
But Minister Christian Ntjangase, the Shiselweni I Member of Parliament denied influencing the construction process of the road for his own benefit, he told the Times Sunday that the residents did approached him demanding answers why a road leading to his home was prioritised.
"They believe I manipulated things yet that is not the case. I went to the chiefdom to explain, but the crowd became rowdy, forcing me to call the police after sensing that the situation would end in violence" said the Minister.
SHISELWENI I road is in a poor condition