Members of Parliament in Eswatini have expressed concerns that the government's cashflow problems are slowing down service delivery and development projects. Lobamba MP Michael Masilela stated that the situation could affect his chances of returning to Parliament in the next elections. He made these comments during the second reading of three loan Bills linked to the Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) and the Digital Eswatini Project.
Masilela questioned the prioritization of the EPTC loan when other areas of development were also in need of funding. He said that service delivery was moving slowly and that the situation was affecting legislators because communities expected them to deliver services and development. His concerns were echoed by other MPs during the debate, particularly over stalled Microprojects and infrastructure development.
Sigwe MP David Cruiser Ngcamphalala stated that contractors working under Microprojects had been stood down and that services directly affecting citizens had stopped. He said that citizens were complaining every day about the situation. Ngcamphalala had expected the loans being considered by Parliament to include an allocation for projects such as road infrastructure and other services that directly affect communities.
Other MPs, including Sithobela MP Mancoba Sihlongonyane and Mbabane East MP Welcome Dlamini, also raised concerns about the stalled projects and the pension position at EPTC. Dlamini asked about the pension position at EPTC, including whether E26 million had been set aside from the loan to address the pension deficit. He further asked how much the pension deficit currently stood at.
Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane called on Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg to table EPTC's latest financial position before the House of Assembly. He said Parliament needed to be provided with information on the company's ability to service its debt, projected cashflows, risk assessments, and the terms of government's guarantee of the loan. Zwane also questioned why EPTC was not using its finances to obtain the loan instead of relying on government to borrow on its behalf.
Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg responded to the concerns, stating that the Digital Eswatini initiative was expected to reduce the cost of internet access. He said that more people were relying on data to access the internet, adding that while the country had a good network, the cost of data remained high. Rijkenberg also explained that dealing with the urgent funding needs at Microprojects required budget support loans, but obtaining such loans from financial institutions was more difficult than securing infrastructure loans.
The three Bills before Parliament were the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation) Loan Guarantee Bill, 2026; the International Development Association (Digital Eswatini Project) Loan Bill, 2026; and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Digital Eswatini Project) Loan Bill, 2026. The MPs' concerns highlight the challenges facing the government's efforts to deliver services and development projects in Eswatini.
Key points
- - Eswatini MPs express concerns over government's cashflow problems affecting service delivery and development projects. - The concerns were raised during the debate on three loan Bills linked to EPTC and the Digital Eswatini Project. - Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg responds to the concerns, highlighting the challenges of obtaining budget support loans.
