Siphofaneni – Deputy Prime Minister Senator Thulisile Dladla, accompanied by the Minister for Tinkhundla Administration and Development Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, has toured roads, bridges and households damaged by persistent rains recorded over the past week in parts of the country.
The visit, coordinated through the National Disaster Management Agency, took place earlier this week in areas under the Siphofaneni Inkhundla, where the Deputy Prime Minister also handed over building materials to affected households as government prepares to construct decent houses for families left vulnerable by the rains.
The delegation’s first stop was the Maphilongo area, where Dladla inspected a damaged bridge at the Mhlatuzana River. During the assessment, Member of Parliament for Sithobela Constituency Mancoba Sihlongonyane informed the Deputy Prime Minister that the bridge, which connects Sithobelweni and Siphofaneni, was severely damaged during last year’s heavy rains. 
Photo credit: The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office Eswatini
Sihlongonyane said although residents had created an alternative crossing point, the route poses a serious drowning risk, especially for children expected to return to school next week. He added that the damaged bridge has also disrupted access to essential services, including healthcare.
In response, the Deputy Prime Minister assured residents that government is working tirelessly to address the situation, noting a commitment to preventing tragedies involving children, people with disabilities and the elderly. She said substantial measures are being taken to deal with the impact of the heavy rains.
Photo credit: The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office Eswatini
While visiting damaged homesteads, Dladla called on community members to make use of the Rural Development Fund by forming associations that can support one another during natural disasters.
She made these remarks during a visit to the homestead of senior citizen Robert Sihlongonyane in Maphilongo, under the Siphofaneni Inkhundla, where she delivered building materials and food parcels.
Siphofaneni Bucopho Zanele Shongwe said Sihlongonyane lives with two of his children and four grandchildren, one of whom has a disability. She said the family had been living together in a single stick and mud house before the community intervened.
Shongwe said after assessing the situation, community members came together to build a new stick and mud house for the family. As a result, Sihlongonyane and his female children have since relocated to the newly constructed structure.
During the tour, the Deputy Prime Minister said her observations pointed to poverty likely persisting in many communities, noting that it could take years for many Emaswati to rise above their circumstances. She expressed concern that some citizens have chosen to remain inactive instead of pursuing income generating projects that could improve their livelihoods.
She said Emaswati have no excuse to remain in poverty, citing funding programmes made available by His Majesty King Mswati III, including the Rural Development Fund and the Youth Revolving Fund.
Dladla urged citizens to visit their nearest Tinkhundla centres to apply for support under the Rural Development Fund and form their own associations. She said if such associations were operational, government could employ their services to repair roads badly damaged by the recent rains, suggesting that graders owned by these groups could be contracted for road rehabilitation work.
