The second Eswatini Urban Forum is set to take place from October 28 to 30, with the theme 'Empowering Eswatini’s Local Authorities: Financing, Smart Solutions, Resilient Infrastructure, and Housing for All.' Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala stated that the forum will directly address the challenges faced by local municipalities, including limited financial resources and expanding mandates. The event aims to provide a strategic platform for policymakers, municipal leaders, and stakeholders to discuss solutions to these challenges.
Minister Maphalala emphasized that local authorities are increasingly expected to deliver complex services, including digital transitions, green infrastructure, and essential social services, despite facing systemic revenue shortfalls and traditional funding bottlenecks. The forum will bring together stakeholders to bridge the mandate-resource gap and shift the conversation from planning to execution. Discussions will focus on sustainable revenue streams, climate-resilient infrastructure, smart city blueprints, and inclusive local economies driven by youth empowerment.
The forum's theme is designed to future-proof Eswatini's urban centers, ensuring that national growth is economically viable, digitally advanced, and fundamentally inclusive. Minister Maphalala stated that the event will be anchored by six core sub-themes addressing pressing administrative, developmental, and structural priorities. He extended an open invitation to participate and engage in conversation to a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including policymakers, municipal leaders, traditional authorities, and private sector innovators.
Registration for the forum will commence next week, and the official registration portal will be ready by the end of the week. Minister Maphalala encouraged all interested participants to visit the ministry's channels early to register and be part of the vital dialogue. The event is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society organizations, youth leaders, academia, researchers, urban planners, and housing practitioners.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing Portfolio Committee Chairperson Sibongile Mamba stated that the ministry must update its laws and policies, as the current ones are too old. She appreciated the World Bank for its work in providing services to urban communities with limited budgets. Mamba expressed hope that the bank will continue to prioritize Eswatini in its future projects.
In a related development, Minister Maphalala also addressed the launch of drought management plans for 14 municipalities by the National Disaster Risk Management Authority (NDRMA). He emphasized the need to link drought management plans to reality and to sharpen early warning systems, particularly in light of El Niño projections. Acting NDRMA CEO Sandile Thwala highlighted the importance of drought risk management at the local level, where the effects of drought are most immediate and visible.
The drought management plans aim to mitigate the devastating effects of drought, which can have significant economic impacts on the country. Minister Maphalala noted that Eswatini lost around E3.8 billion during the last drought, a huge percentage of the country's budget. He appealed for effective communication and coordination to ensure that the country is better prepared to respond to drought disasters.
Key points
- The second Eswatini Urban Forum will focus on empowering local authorities to address challenges such as financing, smart solutions, resilient infrastructure, and housing for all.
- The forum aims to provide a strategic platform for stakeholders to discuss solutions to the challenges faced by local municipalities.
- The event will bring together policymakers, municipal leaders, traditional authorities, development partners, and private sector innovators to share ideas and best practices.
