MANZINI - The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) has awarded a tender worth E39 million to local contractor.
It has awarded J&E Construction (Pty) Ltd for the construction of a state-of-the-art conference centre. This landmark development is expected to transform the organisation’s headquarters, while injecting millions into Eswatini’s economy.
Construction of the conference centre is already underway and is expected to be completed by June 2027, although the project could be finished earlier should work proceed without major setbacks.
SNAT Secretary General (SG) Lot Vilakati said the project was the culmination of a long-standing resolution adopted by the organisation’s members more than two decades ago. “The construction of this conference centre was not imposed on members. It was a collective resolution adopted at our 2004 conference, where members agreed that SNAT should have a conference facility of this magnitude,” said Vilakati.
He said the organisation began laying the groundwork for the ambitious project in 2018, by undertaking planning processes and mobilising financial resources. The development is expected to significantly change the landscape surrounding SNAT Centre in Manzini, while creating employment opportunities during construction.
Founded in 1928, SNAT is one of the oldest and largest teacher organisations in Southern Africa, representing more than 17 000 teachers across Eswatini. As the recognised voice of educators, the organisation operates both as a registered association and a trade union responsible for negotiating with government on teachers’ salaries, benefits, welfare and conditions of service.
The organisation also safeguards members against unfair labour practices, dismissals and intimidation. It is currently supporting its president, Mbongwa Ernest Dlamini, who was dismissed by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) in 2023. Beyond labour representation, SNAT also provides members with financial support services through the SNAT Savings and Credit Co-operative (SNAT SACCO), a burial fund and a medical aid scheme.
Speaking about the multi-million project, Vilakati said the first phase of the project would comprise a modern auditorium capable of accommodating 1 000 people and a fully equipped commercial kitchen to serve delegates attending conferences, workshops and meetings. The second phase will include accommodation facilities for members and leaders who wish to stay overnight while attending union activities.
He further shared that the conference centre has been designed as a two-storey building, with the upper floor accommodating guest apartments.
Vilakati described J&E Construction as one of Eswatini’s reputable construction companies with a proven record of combining innovative building methods with local expertise to deliver safe, reliable and high-quality residential, commercial and civil engineering projects.
He, therefore, stated that awarding the contract to a local company was a deliberate decision aimed at strengthening domestic businesses and ensuring that project expenditure remains within the country’s economy. “We have recently seen many tenders being awarded to foreign companies even where there are capable local contractors. I am not saying competence should be ignored, but where local companies have the necessary capacity and meet all the requirements, they should be given the opportunity,” said Vilakati.
His remarks come amid growing debate over the increasing number of multimillion-emalangeni infrastructure contracts awarded to foreign firms despite the presence of qualified local contractors.
Previous media reports have revealed that two of the country’s major public institutions, the Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE) and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, have awarded several large infrastructure contracts to foreign companies. EWADE, which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, has reportedly awarded contracts worth more than E5 billion to five foreign companies. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has also awarded road construction contracts exceeding E3 billion to foreign contractors.
Collectively, more than E8 billion worth of infrastructure contracts have reportedly been awarded to foreign companies in recent years. As a result, economists have cautioned that when government and State-owned enterprises allocate a substantial portion of their capital expenditure to foreign contractors, a significant share of those funds is ultimately repatriated outside the country.
According to economists, the outflow of capital weakens domestic foreign exchange reserves, while depriving the local economy of the multiplier effects that major infrastructure investments are expected to generate, including employment creation, business opportunities for local suppliers and increased household incomes.
The concerns come against the backdrop of persistently high unemployment. Eswatini’s unemployment rate currently stands at 33.5 per cent, while youth unemployment remains alarmingly high at 52.2 per cent. The recently released 2025 Integrated Labour Force Survey estimates that about 136 000 people are actively seeking employment, with many surviving through informal and low-productivity economic activities.
It is on this backdrop that economists argue that directing more major infrastructure contracts to local construction companies could significantly improve these statistics by retaining wealth within the country, stimulating domestic investment and expanding employment opportunities.
They contend that local contractors are more likely to reinvest their earnings locally, purchase construction materials from domestic suppliers, lease equipment within the country and spend in local communities, creating a ripple effect that benefits sectors such as manufacturing, retail and transport, while broadening the national tax base. The construction sector currently accounts for about 6.5 per cent of national employment and remains one of the country’s largest employers of low- and semi-skilled labour.
Meanwhile, J&E Construction is registered by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in the highest categories for both general building works (B1) and general civil engineering works (C1), enabling it to undertake some of Eswatini’s largest and most technically demanding infrastructure projects. Over the years, the company has delivered several major public and private developments.
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The conference centre project is underway in Manzini, where SNAT seeks to ensure the facility has an accommodation and auditorium components, among other things. J&E Construction on the project site as work has already begun in Manzini – at SNAT Centre. (Pics: Mfanukhona Nkambule)