King launches E230 million project
MANZINI – His Majesty King Mswati III yesterday launched a project worth over E230 million which will benefit eight Tinkhundla centres and all urban local governments.
The project identified as the Swaziland Local Government Project (SLGP) has been financed by government, which injected E32 million (US$4 million) and the World Bank which contributed approximately E215 million (US$26.9 million).
According to the SLGP Coordinator Thulasizwe Dlamini, the project would be executed over a period of six years, from March 13, 2012 when the loan was declared effective to June 30, 2018.
During the launch at the Mavuso Trade Centre, His Majesty said he was aware that the project was a culmination of lengthy discussions and negotiations between government and the World Bank.
"During the negotiations, both parties opened up to each other and understood limitations and strengths of one another. What is important in this courtship is that both parties agreed and are committed to a win-win relationship," he said.
The King said it was pleasing to know that the World Bank understood that the kingdom has cities, towns and rural areas that need to be developed in equal measures.
He pointed out that the success of this project, like its failure would put the country on the world map.
"If the project succeeds, as it must, we are certain that it will open up streams of support from all the many international funding agencies.
"But again, if the project fails, which it must not for whatever reason, we will be an international disgrace," the King stressed.
His Majesty added that the country would be depriving itself and the future generations of an opportunity to be effective players in the global economy, if the project failed.
He said the project was in line with the country’s national objectives to decentralise government services to rural areas.
To this regard, Manzini Regional Administrator Prince Masitsela urged Parliament to pass into law the Decentralisation Bill before His Majesty dissolved it.
The King appealed to all structures in the various communities to work closely with the project management team.
The Project Coordinator Thulasizwe Dlamini assured that there would be a result and monitoring framework which would track Tinkhundla and urban local government (ULG) performance improvements and identify further capacity building support.
"This framework will help track improved Tinkhundla capacity and ULG capacity to plan and manage infrastructure needs and services," he said.
Dlamini highlighted that the long-term vision of the project was that processes initiated and tested under the project would be translated into a fiscal structure that would be mainstreamed into the government’s fiscal system for local governments.
As a token of appreciation, Their Majesties were presented with a herd of seven cattle by four municipalities and the ministries of Housing and Urban Development and Tinkhundla Administration and Development.
Don’t dare loot the funds, King warns
MANZINI – The King has strongly warned those who might be tempted to loot the project’s funds.
His Majesty said diverting public resources for personal gain was one major factor that contributes to the failure of projects.
"Let us caution anyone who was already entertaining such thoughts to desist forthwith for such will not be tolerated," the King warned.
He said those who had a weakness for money should stay away from the project. "Bolosilina babo baleka – bakhweshe eceleni kwale mali," the King stressed.
His statement was received with an overwhelming round of applause and screams of ‘bayethe wena waphakathi.’
This is loosely translated, "The rats should stay away from the money."
His Majesty also implored the communities where the project would be implemented to be extra vigilant and swiftly report suspicious transactions and dealings to the appropriate authorities.
Project to be divided into three projects
MANZINI – The approximately E230 million project will be divided into three components.
The first component would look at Tinkhundla capacity building and infrastructure support which targets eight tinkhundla centres.
These are Motshane, Mayiwane (both in the Hhohho region), Mkhiweni, Manzini North (both in the Manzini region), Siphofaneni, Lomahasha (both in the Lubombo region) and Matsanjeni and Maseyisini (both in the Shiselweni region). The Project Coordinator Thulasizwe Dlamini explained that the first component was divided into two sub components being capacity building for the Tinkhundla centres and infrastructure support.
Dlamini said the second component comprises of the Urban Local Authorities capacity building and infrastructure support which targets all existing local authorities.
He mentioned that this component also had twocomponents being capacity building for the urban local authorities and also infrastructure support for the urban local authorities.
He pointed out that the last component would cater for project management; formal training and capacity building; technical assistance for local government borrowing; performance assessment; and Ministries of Housing and Urban Development and Tinkhu-ndla Administration and Development monitoring systems.
He pointed out that the project development objective was to assist the country to develop institutionally strengthened rural local governments and urban local governments.
The Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini said the Swaziland Local Government Project was in part a follow-on to the Urban Development Project, which was supported by the bank in the 1980s.
World Bank Sustainable Development Manager David Sislen said the SLGP was one of two new projects funded by his institution.
"So the first reason that I am happy is that this project, and the new health project, marks the strengthening of the cooperation between the World Bank and Swaziland in a key area of development.
"Second, I am pleased that the cooperation between the World Bank and Swaziland has evolved with the needs of the country. At the time of the UDP, strengthening the governments of cities and towns was critical to ensuring that Swazis were receiving the services they need," he said.
And indeed, Sislen added that urban centres form the engine of the Swazi economy, with significant manufacturing and services based in urban areas.
"Because of the global financial crisis, it is more important than ever that those towns and cities provide excellent services, not only to satisfy investors, but to attract new ones to Swaziland," he said.
He noted that since the 1990s, the needs of Swaziland have changed.
Sislen pointed out that there was a rapid growth of settlements outside of the main urban areas.
He added that because of the global financial crisis and its impact on the country’s fiscal situation, it was essential that all levels of Swazi government use their scarce resources efficiently.
"And as described in Chapter 13 of the Swazi Constitution, decen-tralisation has been adopted by government as a way to improve effectiveness and efficiency. For all these reasons, this project aims to build the capacity of rural local governments as well as those in the cities and towns," he said.
Sislen told His Majesty that the project was prepared by both the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development.
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