WARNING AGAINST UNAUTHORISED ACTIVITIES ON RAILWAY SERVITUDE

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It has come to our attention that there have been incidents involving the unauthorised stoppage of trains, theft of fuel, and vandalism of railway property, perpetrated by individuals posing as employees of Eswatini Railways. We would like to emphatically state that Eswatini Railways and its genuine employees are not in the business of selling fuel, and any such activities are not only unauthorised but also illegal. 

We are deeply concerned about the safety risks and disruptions caused by these incidents, and we wish to inform and warn the public against engaging in or supporting such activities. 

The unauthorised stoppage of trains not only affects the efficiency of our services but also poses significant safety hazards. Theft of fuel and vandalism not only compromise the integrity of our operations but also endangers the well-being of the community where the railway line traverses. 

We would like to make it unequivocally clear that Eswatini Railways does not endorse or participate in the sale of fuel to the public. Any claims or representations suggesting otherwise are false. 

We are actively working with law enforcement agencies to investigate and address these incidents, and those found responsible will face legal consequences. 

Furthermore, we caution individuals against encroaching on the railway servitude for any business activities. 

The railway servitude is designated for railway operations, and any unauthorised activities pose a threat to the safety of both the public and our operations. We strongly discourage any attempts to engage in business or other activities along the railway lines without proper authorisation. 

We appreciate the cooperation of the community in reporting any suspicious activities related to unauthorised train stoppages, fuel theft, or vandalism along our railway lines. Your vigilance will contribute to maintaining the safety and integrity of our railway operations. 

We remain committed to providing safe and reliable railway services to the country and will take all necessary measures to address and prevent these unauthorised activities.

Eswatini Railways Hits Landmark 1 Million Tonnes of Coal Haulage to Maputo

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Sidvokodvo Coal Operation
In January 2023 Eswatini Railways achieved a landmark 1 million tonnes on coal haulage from the Sidvokodvo siding to Maputo Port. This is an operation that resumed in December 2021 and in a period of a year, it has superseded logistical challenges to hit the big one. On the 16 th of February 2023, the ESR CEO Mr. Nixon Dlamini is seen receiving the symbolic 1 million
landmark award from Grinrod’s Logistics Africa Chief Executive Mr. Danie Parsons in Mbabane.

Background
A lot of coal is being transported by road haulers through the Eastern part of the Republic of South Africa along the N4 through the Lebombo boarder to the Maputo Port. This has resulted in serious congestion issues particularly at the boarder where trucks get stuck for more than 24 hours attempting to cross. This results in costly delays to deliver the product to the port so that
it reaches markets on time. Grinrod and ESR, explored a solution of transporting coal through Eswatini to the Maputo port. The solution explored manifested itself in the form of a working relationship with ESR where road haulers will fetch and deposit coal at the Sidvokodvo Train siding then consequently loaded onto trains and transported to the Maputo port. This solution
eliminates the boarder bottleneck that has frustrated many logistics operators like Grinrod through the Ressano Garcia route. This operation has added much needed tonnage to the ESR operation while also utilizing the previously underutilized Goba line that connects Eswatini railway network to Mozambique.

It is a collaborative effort of a lot of teams which has provided the opportunities to local road haulers that fetch the coal from RSA with their South African counterparts and deliver it at Sidvokodvo. There are currently more than 40% Emaswati road haulers servicing this business and ESR is congratulating them for their efforts. The local community has also benefited with the employment of eMaswati at the Sidvokodvo siding to do various jobs. Most of the truck operators prefer to fill up fuel in Eswatini since the cost is lower than in neighboring RSA. This project wouldn’t be complete without the collaborative efforts with the Mozambique Railway operator (CFM) who provide much needed locomotive and crew support to haul the cargo to
the port. The synergies exhibited by these have made it possible to pull off this project.

ESR would also like to congratulate its staff for their dedication in making this achievement possible. Only people can do work, machines do not exist without people and machines are operated by people. ESR would like to thank the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini and its agencies like the Eswatini Revenue Services and others for the support since the inception of the project to today. This huge logistical project would not have been possible without their critical support and guidance. Lastly, we would like to thank the people of Eswatini for their patience and understanding that despite challenges, work has to continue because business is what builds an economy and a vibrant economy is good for everyone.

UPDATE ON ESWATINI RAIL LINK (ESRL) PROJECT

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The Eswatini Rail Link project team has spearheaded the project to reach significant milestones on its growth path. This is a joint effort between Transnet Freight Rail and Eswatini Railways. The project is currently at Project Affected People resettlement phase. Many resettlements alternative sites have been prepared for the construction phase which started in March 2023 in Eswatini.

This inter-railway initiative between Transnet Freight Rail (South Africa) and Eswatini Railways entails the construction of a 146 km new railway line/link from Lothair, South Africa to Sidvokodvo, Eswatini and the revamping of adjacent existing lines to align and provide support to the new link.

The project is intended to be a rail and road traffic congestion solution based on a realistic and achievable system capacity. The target is to accommodate trains of up to 26 tons/axle, 2.5km long/200 wagons trains and a capacity of 12 trains each way per day, in line with infrastructure interventions, thereby creating a dedicated General Freight Business Corridor for Transnet, while providing necessary additional capacity for Eswatini Railways. This growth in capacity adds to the current capacity of 12 trains of 81 wagons per day each way on the current ESR Komatipoort-Golela Line that will double the traffic volumes. Consequently, the Eswatini Rail Link project will enable added capacity on general freight business.

The Image below shows the Eswatini Railways System Map with added details of the new Eswatini Rail Link Project.

The Eswatini Railways System Map with added details of the new Eswatini Rail Link Project.

Recent developments in both the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Republic of South Africa include the following:

  • The signing of dossiers by project affected people.
  • Acquisition of land in South Africa and Eswatini is in progress.
  • In Eswatini, the clearing of land and construction of homesteads for the ongoing resettlements is underway.
  • Ongoing procurement process for building contractors.
  • A structure at grass roots level comprising of affected people is in place to address all resettlement issues. A participatory process to manage the relocation of homes is ongoing.
  • A robust consultative process with traditional authorities and other stakeholders is ongoing.
  • Complete adherence to regulatory and statutory requirements lies at the core of the entire project.
  • The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini is in full support of the project as evidenced by the availing of resources for the relocation process.
  • In Eswatini, the resettlement of project affected people is underway. On the 13 th April the Honourable Minister of Public Works and Transport of the Kingdom of Eswatini toured household resettlement sites where construction has started. The photo below was taken during the tour.

On the 13 th April the Honourable Minister of Public Works and Transport of the Kingdom of Eswatini toured household resettlement sites where construction has started. This photo was taken during the tour.

Opportunities:
This project has already created opportunities on both sides of the boarder. Emaswati companies have participated at business level in undertaking some of the work and general Emaswati have benefitted in direct short-term employment.

  • Will create jobs in line with the stage of the project.
  • Will create business opportunities, facilitate skills transfer and training.
  • Will unlock mining opportunities.
  • Will give rise to Corporate Social Investment initiatives.
  • Boost both Eswatini and RSA economies.
  • Regional integration

Construction
Construction will start once the resettlement process is complete, the process to source a financier of the project is underway.

For more information contact:
Sandile Dlamini (Acting Project Director): +268 7802 2286
Senanile Mayabane (Project Manager): +268 76185359