Floods sever water mains

Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland is experiencing water shortages after floods severed the city's water mains, the 'Swazi Observer' reported on Friday. It said this had affected the country's main government hospital. Quoting a Water Services Corporation technician, the report said: "The soil layer underneath the pipes had been softened by the persistent rains, hence the pipes easily broke." The technician added that if the rains persisted, residents of Mbabane and surrounding areas might not have water for the whole of next week because of the difficulty in replacing burst pipes in rainy