Times Of Swaziland: KING’S HOUSING PLAN FOR POOR DELAYED 15 YEARS

KING’S HOUSING PLAN FOR POOR DELAYED 15 YEARS
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Mfanukhona Nkambule on 09/02/2025 08:27:00


MBABANE –On February 12, 2010, His Majesty the King emphatically commanded
government to lay the foundation for a national housing project. This was during
his speech from the Throne, which marked the official opening of the second
session of the ninth Parliament. Envisioning a grandiose plan encapsulated in a
budget of E1.5 billion, Ingwenyama’s aspiration was crystal clear – ‘to
guarantee the provision of decent housing for citizens’. “Yet, over a decade
and a half later, one cannot help but question whether this royal edict has
faded into an echo within the corridors of power,” a concerned government
official, preferring to speak on condition of anonymity, said.
The King’s royal directive emphasised that access to adequate housing is a
fundamental need, not only for public servants, but also for every member of the
nation. Back in 2010, His Majesty opened the second session of the ninth
Parliament with these poignant words, urging both the private and public sectors
to galvanise their resolve and consolidate efforts towards this noble endeavour.
However, the Times SUNDAY can reveal that governmental efforts veered towards
what became widely known as the ‘institutional housing project’, a shift
which honed its focus primarily on lodging for public servants.
This, perhaps, inadvertent neglect of the King’s broader vision meant many of
those most in need continued to wait. Fast forward to January 31, 2025, the King
once again seized the opportunity to revive his unfulfilled edict. In his
address marking the official opening of the second session of the 12th
Parliament, the King reiterated, with evident candour, the critical need to
provide decent shelters for the less privileged.
His words echoed a growing national concern about the rising spectre of urban
slums, necessitating urgent government intervention to ensure vulnerable
emaSwati are not condemned to such conditions. Echoing his previous speeches,
His Majesty noted: “Further efforts are being made by government and its
partners to accord decent shelters for the less privileged.”
His call was not merely for government intervention, but also for collaborative
efforts with the private sector, underlining the necessity for a unified
approach in providing affordable housing solutions for emaSwati. This, he
emphasised, is a basic necessity for everyone, reinforcing sentiments he first
expressed 15 years ago.
Urgent
The King said ‘urgent attention’ needs to be given to avoid emerging slums
in the future. He ordered government to provide the necessary social assistance
and care to ensure vulnerable emaSwati do not grow up in these areas. In 2010,
he had said, providing a clear blueprint for the nation’s housing project:
“As we continue with our drive to increase investment and industrial
production, we should make provision for proper accommodation for the nation.”
It appears that previous governmental actions concentrated disproportionately on
the segment of his directive aimed at accommodating public servants; thus
sidelining the broader national housing imperatives. Sources within the
administrative circle suggested that this disproportionate emphasis led to an
unintended neglect of the King’s comprehensive royal mandate, which implicitly
included providing shelter for all citizens in need. It is understood that
undertaking the housing project at that time would not have only aligned with
the King’s vision, but also supported national stability and socio-economic
advancement.
Goal
“It is our goal as a nation to enable everyone to have access to proper and
well-structured housing,” proclaimed the King, painting a picture of a future
where housing insecurity is merely a distant memory. After the King’s speech,
what then happened? According to information posted on the website of the
Eswatini National Housing Board (ENHB), the Institutional Housing Project (IHP)
was initially commissioned by His Majesty King Mswati III in his speech during
the opening of Parliament in 2009. It must be said that the King talked about
the housing project in 2010. The ENHB stated that the project was launched with
the purpose of alleviating the civil service housing backlog.
Later, an audit report on public property revealed that government was unable to
maintain its houses and offices because of financial challenges. There was also
a proposal to dispose of some government houses because they are a financial
dream to the taxpayer. After the King’s speech, it must be said that the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development was directed to facilitate the
provision of the institutional housing for government employees. This, the
administration of the late Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, said it
was meant to address the shortage of accommodation in the civil service.
Implementing
According to the ENHB’s website, a public enterprise, it was engaged by the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to be the implementing agency for the
project. In that way, they said they were able to carry out His Majesty’s
vision. EHB presented a proposal to government to deliver the project through
the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) concept. The proposal was accepted and a
Memorandum of Agreement was entered into by ENHB and the Government of Eswatini.
ENHB received a government guarantee of E1 billion in favour of E600 million
from the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) and E400 million from the Eswatini
National Provident Fund ( ENPF).
The government company, under the supervision of the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Development, managed to secure a E600 million loan from PSPF. The first
tranche was a sum of E100 million from ENPF. The first phase of the project was
broken down into two stages – stage one included the uniformed services
(Eswatini National Fire, Rescue and emergency services, Royal Eswatini Police
Service and His Majesty’s Correctional Services. Stage two included the
Ministry of Health and King Mswati III International Airport Housing Estate.
The ENHB stated on its website that the phasing was done following an extensive
need analysis exercise which it conducted. It reported that, prior to the
planning and implementation, the respective agencies were consulted to
prioritise their needs, considering their capacity and availability of land.
Given this backdrop, it is particularly instructive to explore similar
initiatives globally, where different governments have made remarkable strides
in tackling housing challenges. Is the King dreaming about something that has
never been done in other countries? This newspaper conducted a research on what
other countries have done well in providing shelter for their people.
In Africa, the Ethiopian government has rolled out the Integrated Housing
Development Programme aiming to furnish affordable homes for thousands of
low-income citizens. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Family Homes Fund is set to create
over 500 000 homes, and South Africa’s Reconstruction and Development
Programme accommodates millions. Across Asia, Singapore’s Housing Development
Board is often lauded for ensuring nearly 80 per cent of its population is
housed in government-subsidised flats. India’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
seeks to provide housing for all by the year 2022, and in Vietnam, the Vietnam
Affordable Housing Programme has systematically addressed the urban housing
deficits.
Europe, meanwhile, continues to champion housing programmes with varying degrees
of success.
Affordable
The United Kingdom has launched the Affordable Homes Programme, aiming to fund
the development of affordable housing. In Sweden, an extensive housing policy
reforms pledge sustainable housing for all and France’s Loi SRU mandates
social housing in urban zones. In the United States, notable initiatives include
the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which incentivises the private sector to
develop affordable housing for low-income residents.
Such international precedents paint a vivid picture of how government
intervention can lead to transformative outcomes in public housing. “While
reflecting on the King’s impassioned call and scrutinising government’s
responses—or lack thereof—we have to ponder whether the King’s noble
vision would have flourished had its execution mirrored these robust
international examples,” the government official said. He added: “Only time
will tell if the prolonged saga of waiting will give way to a future where every
liSwati can enjoy the dignity of a home, as envisioned by their King.”