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SADC FUND ISSUES E170M FOR SD/MOZ WATER PROJECT

03/04/2018 07:26:00 BY KWANELE DHLADHLA

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MBABANE – Swazi entrepreneurs should have their ducks in a row in readiness to grab business opportunities presented by the E170 million (US$115m) Swaziland-Mozambique water supply project.

Minister of Finance Martin Dlamini has disclosed that E170 million has been received from the SADC Water Fund for the Lomahasha/Namaacha Potable Water Supply Project. Local entrepreneurs were assured that the project contractor would source materials from locals wherever possible such as hiring excavation machinery, poles and fencing services and piping material in the trans-boundary water supply service across the borderline between Lomahasha in Swaziland and Namaacha in Mozambique.

In the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) and Mitigation Plan for the proposed water supply project, it was also strongly promised that the contractor, yet to be appointed, will ensure that vending to the workers gets undertaken by local businesses.

Currently, a consortium of consultancy companies in environmental and social management, formed by Salomon Lda and IC Development Consultants, from Swaziland and Mozambique, respectively, has been appointed to oversee the environmental, social as well as the climate impacts associated with the project, expected to supply water to populations surrounding Lomahasha within a radius of five kilometers, at all stages.

The local government through the Ministry Of Natural Resources and Energy and Mozambican Government through the Ministry Of Public Infrastructures, Housing and Water Resources have entered into an agreement to ensure that Lomahasha and Namaacha are provided with potable water supply service.

The project is supported by the German Government through the German Development Agency (GIZ) as part of technical assistance to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which has established a fund for Regional Water Supply and Sanitation Infrastructure (FWRS), financed through KfW to assist with the implementation of trans-boundary integrated water resources management within the SADC region.