MBABANE – EWADE and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport are leaders in channelling mega-tenders to foreign companies, the Times SUNDAY has established.
They have collectively awarded tenders worth E8.7 billion, sidelining local contractors in the process.
An investigation by this newspaper can reveal that the Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise, popularly known as EWADE, which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, has emerged as a leading public enterprise in channelling multi-million-dollar infrastructure contracts to overseas entities.
The organisation recently awarded five major technical and infrastructural tenders to foreign firms, collectively valued at E5.018 billion.
Concurrently, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport awarded road construction tenders valued at E3.685 billion to foreign entities, bringing the combined total to E8.7 billion.
The bulk of the EWADE contracts fall under the Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Programme (MNWAP). According to tender documents published by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project’s financier, the MNWAP is a climate resilience, infrastructure and irrigation initiative aimed at poverty alleviation in the Shiselweni Region.
The project is structured in two phases. Component 1A entails the construction of the Mpakeni Dam on the Ngwavuma River. Component 1B involves the construction of a downstream conveyance system to irrigate approximately 5 000 hectares across Sigwe, Maloma, Mconcwane/Mcathuvane and St Philips. Component two focuses on transferring water from the Mkhondvo River to augment the limited supply in the Ngwavuma River at the Mpakeni Dam.
This will involve constructing either the Mahamba Gorge Dam, the Ethemba Dam or a combination of both, along with downstream conveyance. This phase also includes expanding irrigation infrastructure to greater Lavumisa, Somntongo and Matsanjeni, covering an additional 25 000 hectares. In total, the project will irrigate 30 000 hectares, benefitting an estimated 100 000 people.
One of the companies awarded a tender of E1.78 billion is GVPR Engineers from India. It was the contract for the construction of the 36-kilometre Phase 1B Main Conveyance Pipeline from the Mpakeni Dam to the irrigation command areas.
It must be said that GVPR Engineers Limited is an India-based infrastructure company founded in 1994. The firm specialises in water supply, irrigation and pipeline engineering.
While it operates extensively within India, GVPR has expanded its footprint across the African continent, frequently securing contracts funded by international financial institutions such as the AfDB and the World Bank for large-scale water augmentation projects.
Another mega-project is the primary tender for the construction of the Mpakeni Dam (MNWAP Phase 1A).
It was awarded to Sakhalive Joint Venture (China) at a value of E2.6 billion. The joint venture comprises two major Chinese State-backed entities. Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co. Ltd. holds a 70 per cent stake, while Sinohydro Bureau Limited (a subsidiary of PowerChina) holds the remaining 30 per cent.
Sinohydro is one of the world’s largest hydroelectric engineering and construction companies, with a vast portfolio of dam projects globally. Yellow River Engineering is similarly a heavyweight in water conservancy and dam design, particularly in developing nations.
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