BY SIBUSISEKILE NDLANGAMANDLA
MANZINI– The Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) is targeting universal access to reliable and convenient water services for all emaSwati by 2030, Managing Director Jabulile Mashwama has said.
Mashwama said expanding water infrastructure and bringing water services closer to communities remain key priorities as the corporation works towards achieving the country’s universal water access target.
“The nation’s goal is to bring it to emaSwati in a very convenient and accessible way,” Mashwama said. Reliable access to water also has an important economic impact on households, particularly for communities that have to spend money and time looking for alternative sources when water is not readily available.
Reflecting on a recent visit to the Shiselweni Region, Mashwama recalled engagements with customers who had recently been connected to the EWSC network. She said some customers explained that they had previously spent significant amounts of money and time securing water before receiving household connections.
For Mashwama, such experiences demonstrated the need to understand and quantify the economic cost of limited access to water. “Until you actually realise and quantify the cost of not having water, you don’t realise how much you’re spending on water,” she said.
The corporation is also promoting prepaid water services as part of its efforts to give customers greater control over their consumption and household spending. She explained that prepaid water allows customers to determine how much they want to spend and manage their consumption according to their available budget.
“We want to say consume what you’ve already quantified through the prepaid method and manage your consumption that way,” she said. EWSC is further using its ‘Konkhe ngaWater’ campaign to bring together its initiatives under one message centred on smart water usage and smart living.
The campaign forms part of the corporation’s broader efforts to transform into a modern, customer-centred utility that responds to the needs of households, businesses and communities.
Mashwama also stressed that achieving sustainable water access requires responsible use of the country’s water resources. She called for collective responsibility in conserving water and protecting the resource for future generations.
With 2030 as its target, EWSC’s strategy focuses on infrastructure expansion, improved customer convenience, prepaid services and responsible water management as key areas in advancing universal access to water services.
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