The Municipal Council of Mbabane has reported that it aims to upgrade Mangwaneni, Nkwalini Zone 3, Mahwalala Zone 6C, Manzana, Sidwashini (includes Old Makholokholo), Sitibeni and Fonteyn into formal townships
In the last financial year, Malagwane and Mvakwelitje townships were gazetted. The registration of the respective townships is ongoing.
The upgrading of the 7 informal settlements falls under the Council’s Urban Upgrading Programme.
According to the Council’s Annual Report for 2022/23 the office of the Surveyor General restarted surveying and pegging in the Fonteyn Township, the end of which will result in the preparation of the General Plan.
Council anticipates that the Office of the Surveyor General will then continue with pegging and surveying in Manzana and Sidwashini townships.
“The Environmental Audit for Sitibeni Township was submitted to the Eswatini Environmental Authority for scrutiny, the report is now awaiting final approval by the Authority. Additionally, the service provider who was engaged to conduct the Mahwalala Zone 6C environmental audit has prepared a draft report which was submitted to the Authority.”
Furthermore, the City Council has disclosed that it has engaged a service provider to assess and prepare township layouts for Mncitsini, Gobholo, and PTS. Worth noting is that draft layouts have been prepared for PTS informal township.
Council notes that more progress could have taken place in Mncitsini and Gobholo, but was however disturbed by socio-political events.
“The service providers experienced socio-political disturbances which have disturbed the data collection activities in Mncitsini and Gobholo, therefore, the layouts for those townships are yet to be prepared. The stakeholder engagement aspects of the programme are, however, continuing in the respective townships, the finalisation of which will enable the preparation of the layouts.”