New normal under tough economic times

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M– Commuters are now adapting to the new normal in most areas which are local to the cities and towns by foot as they are now travelling after local kombis charged them E10.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has gone to Parliament to gazette the new proposed bus fares hikes by the members of the National Road Transportation Board (NRTB) in the past few months.

The proposal to have the bus fares hiked was supported by skyrocketing fuel prices, locally and internationally.

Initially, the NRTB had proposed for an almost 100 per cent increase of the bus fares, citing the increase in the fuel prices as their main reason behind their decision.

Government last week pleaded with the local public transport owners to be patient as the gazette would be out soon, legalising the new bus fares.

The long distance transport adhered to the plea by government, but local public transport chose to defy the order and went ahead and effected the hike.

There were commotions in almost all the cities as some commuters got into serious altercations with the local transport operators, as they felt they were being robbed as the gazette was not yet issued by government.

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Consumers Association, Bongani Bhanyaza Mdluli said what the local transport operators were doing was wrong and also illegal.

He advised the commuters to report such transport operators to the NRTB so that they may be charged.

Outgoing NRTB chairperson Sihlangu Nhlabatsi also echoed Mdluli’s sentiments and said indeed what the public transport operators were doing to the public was criminal.

He noted that there was

Commuters at Ticantfwini have chosen to travel by foot to the city of Manzini.

never a time in the history of public transport hikes, were hikes effected in such a cruel manner.

Eswatini News has reliably gathered that most of the local residents, who were using local public transport had now opted to walk to the near towns and cities inorder to manage under this tough economic times, where food commodities were also getting more unaffordable to the masses, with each passing day.

Some residents have reduced daily meals from three to two times a day.

It is indeed a new normal exactly as articulated by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare Lizzie Nkosi, when announcing the new measures taken by government to slow down the spread of COVID-19.

Nhlanhla Ginindza has said that due to the high cost of living, him and his family have opted to reduce the number of meals they take in his family at

Nkwene.

He said that before the escalation of prices of food commodities in the market, they were now having two meals insted of the three meals a day.

SurvIve

Nomasonto Dlamini of Kukhanyeni, has also said she has applied the same method in trying to survive under these tough economic times.

Mkhumbi Maziya has said was up to them to make changes as an effort to survive.

An economist said what the residents were doing was commendable.

Minimum wage has to be mindful of affordability in this tough economic conditions. Increasing minimum wage can translate to job losses in labour intensive jobs.

Economist Sanele Sibiya has encouraged most emaSwati to consider these efforts instead of pushing for the increase of minimum wage to survive.