Mbabane–The Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (SMVAF) has reaffirmed its role as a lifeline for road users affected by accidents, paying out approximately E17.3 million by end of May.
Between February and March, the Board and management took a deliberate decision to deal with the claims backlog and made significant progress where 53% of the claims were processed to the tune of E6.9 million.
The efforts to deal with the remaining 47% of the backlog continued between April and May, where the Fund has been able to attend to 583 files, translating to the E10.4 Million. This amount is inclusive of undertakings, loss of support, general damages as well as treatment rehabilitation.
The payments have provided relief to orphans who lost the breadwinner, individuals injured in accidents, and workers who can no longer earn an income due to permanent or temporary incapacitation. SMVAF Chief Executive Officer, Khangeziwe Mabuza, emphasized the Fund’s mission:
“We remain are focused on clearing the backlog and our teams are working tirelessly to ensure that every claimant receives the justice and compensation they deserve,” Beyond the numbers, the Fund’s work has had a profound impact on families and individuals.
One widow from Mantambe, Nomsa Mkhweli, who received support after losing her husband in a road accident, shared how the payout helped her keep her children in school: “Without the Fund, I don’t know how we would have survived. My children can continue their education, and we have food on the table. It gave us hope when we had none.”
Similarly, a young man from Moneni, Sibusiso Dlamini, injured in a colli-sion explained how com-pensation for loss of earnings kept his house-hold afloat while he recovered: “I was the only breadwin-ner, and after the acci-dent I couldn’t work. The Fund’s support meant my family didn’t go hungry while I healed.”
Earlier this year, in February 2026, SMVAF reported that it had processed 529 transactions worth E3.7 million, covering 310 undertaking claims.
SMVAF SATELLITE OFFICES EMBODY KING’S CALL FOR DECENTRALIZATION
In response to the call by his Majesty on decen-tralization, the Fund is in the process of putting up satellite services, to be complemented by the expansion of Sicanco Semphilo, recently launched in Northern Hhohho.
Fully fledged mobile offices were deployed in Nhlangano, Shiselweni Region, and Buhleni Plaza, Hhohho Region, ensuring that claimants had access to the full suite of services — from registration of new claims to generation of offers and approval of payments. During this exercise, the Fund was able to process more than 100 files.
SMVAF Chief Executive Officer, Khangeziwe Mabuza, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “His Majesty has called for decentralization, and we are proud to say that the Fund is already living that vision. Our mobile offices are one-stop service centers, ensuring that clients do not have to travel long distances to access the help they need. This is about dignity, accessibility, and efficiency.”
SMVAF CALLS FOR ACTION ON PENDING OFFERS
The Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (SMVAF) has confirmed that 38 clients were recently called upon to respond to pending settlement offers issued between January and May. These pending offers represent only a portion of the total offers distributed by the Fund during this period, as many others have already been processed and finalized.
SMVAF CEO explained that out of the 38 pending offers, only eight clients have rejected theirs without formally communicating reasons for doing so. This silence has stalled the claims process, leaving both claimants and the Fund.
Mabuza stressed that once a claimant rejects an offer, they are required to submit a formal motivation to the Fund. This allows the matter to be escalated to the Complaints Commit-tee, which will issue a final decision — either confirming the original offer or reviewing it. Without this procedural step, the Fund cannot move forward, resulting in unnecessary delays.
SMVAF has urged all affected clients to act promptly by collecting their pending offers or submitting the required formal motivations. The Fund emphasized that timely responses are critical to ensuring smooth settlement processes and avoiding prolonged disputes.