EZULWINI – Ezulwini Municipality recorded a sharp increase in revenue to E69.5 million and a E41 million surplus during the 2025/26 financial year, alongside increased investment in infrastructure and service delivery.
The figures were presented during the Municipality’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Happy Valley Hotel on Tuesday, bringing together residents and ratepayers, councillors, municipal management and staff, as well as major service providers.
Council Chairperson Comfort Hlophe said the municipality’s 2025/26 Annual Report provided an account of its work and the use of resources during the financial year.
He said the municipality had made progress in areas including planning, infrastructure development, environmental management, public health, local economic development and institutional strengthening.
Among the Municipality’s key achievements was the completion of the Ezulwini Town Planning Scheme 2025, which is intended to guide development within the municipality.
The municipality also hosted 16 flea market events during the year, providing 42 stalls for small businesses and informal traders.
Infrastructure development featured prominently in the Municipality’s activities during the year.
The projects completed or undertaken included the rehabilitation of Mukela public open space, installation of 85 solar-powered streetlights, construction of pedestrian walkways and stormwater infrastructure.
The Municipality also completed the Dr Stevens Drive drainage and concrete road project.
On environmental management, the municipality reported handling 1 977 tonnes of waste during the year.
Waste separation at source contributed to a 26 per cent diversion rate, meaning a portion of waste was diverted away from disposal through separation and recovery initiatives.
Building activity also increased during the period.
The Municipality received 50 building applications, double the 25 applications received in the previous year. Of these applications, 24 were approved.
The Municipality also reported progress in strengthening its institutional systems.
It attained ISO 9001:2015 certification and had its Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for 2026–2031 approved.
The audited financial statements showed that municipal revenue more than doubled during the financial year.
Revenue increased from E33.85 million in the previous year to E69.5 million in 2025/26.
The municipality recorded a surplus of E41 million for the year.
Its assets increased by 25.8 per cent to E198.68 million, while liabilities stood at approximately E2.69 million.
The financial year ended with a clean, unmodified audit opinion, indicating that the audited financial statements received an unmodified opinion from the auditors.
Despite the strong financial performance, the municipality continues to face challenges in collecting billed rates.
During the year, approximately E68.7 million was billed in rates, but only about E30 million was collected.
This means that the Municipality collected less than half of the amount billed during the period, highlighting the gap between billing and actual collections.
Operating expenditure amounted to E38.7 million.
Capital expenditure included E4.87 million for road construction and E1.61 million for high-mast and street lighting.
Municipality embraces technology to improve service delivery
MBABANE – Municipality Chief Executive Officer Mathokoza Shongwe said technology was increasingly being used to improve service delivery and public engagement.
The Municipality has developed two Geographic Information System (GIS) platforms, comprising a citizen engagement platform and a parcel viewer.
The parcel viewer enables residents and prospective property owners to access zoning information and understand applicable development rights before submitting development applications.
The citizen engagement platform allows residents to report service delivery problems and upload photographs to support their complaints.
Shongwe said the platforms were intended to improve access to municipal information while making it easier for residents to communicate service delivery concerns to the Municipality.
The Municipality also reported progress under the Waste to Wealth initiative, implemented in partnership with Enactus.
The initiative trained 15 young people in areas including cooperative development, business planning and cash-flow management.
Residents demand better communication
MBABANE – While the Municipality reported progress in service delivery, residents used the AGM to raise concerns about communication and the handling of community petitions.
A Ward 2 resident questioned communication surrounding elections, while Ward 4 resident Muzi Masuku raised concerns about a petition relating to proposed padel courts.
Residents also raised issues concerning security at public facilities, drainage and the responsiveness of Council to community concerns.
Shongwe acknowledged that there was room for improvement in the Municipality’s engagement with residents.
He said an additional Communications Officer had been approved to strengthen communication and improve the handling of complaints and compliments from residents.
The move is expected to bolster the Municipality’s communication capacity as Ezulwini continues to experience development and increased economic activity.
Major service providers also used the AGM to update residents on developments affecting the municipality.
Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) reported that it was expanding fibre connectivity in several areas of Ezulwini.
The corporation also said internet speeds had been increased to 25 Mbps.
6 600 prepaid water meters installed around Ezulwini
MBABANE – Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) reported that 6 600 prepaid water meters had been installed.
It also highlighted its Konkhe ngaWater campaign, which promotes responsible water use.
An MOU between EWSC and Ezulwini Municipality is expected to be finalised in November.
The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) also explained the requirements for registering solar systems connected to the national grid.
The company said registered customers could feed excess electricity generated from their solar systems into the grid, potentially reducing their electricity bills.
EEC also addressed electricity reliability challenges associated with transformer failures, vegetation and copper theft.
The AGM provided residents with an opportunity to influence the Municipality’s priorities for the next budget.
Among the proposals raised were the installation of street security cameras, improved drainage, additional street lighting, public Wi-Fi, road improvements and the construction of a civic centre.
Residents also called for action on power outages, monkey management and improved fibre connectivity.
The Municipality said a smart partnership programme was being pursued to facilitate the installation of security cameras.
It also said work was underway with relevant authorities on drainage and the proposed widening of the MR103.
Additional solar-powered streetlights are planned for identified dark spots along the MR103 corridor.
The AGM ended with a commitment to continued engagement between Council, management and residents as Ezulwini Municipality prepares for its next phase of development.
