BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – A high-level Brazilian delegation has arrived in Eswatini for a week-long technical mission aimed at assessing the feasibility of introducing Brazil’s pioneering condominium sewer system in the country.
The visit, taking place from 17 to 22 November 2025, marks a significant step in strengthening cooperation between the two nations in the field of water and sanitation infrastructure.
The delegation was formally received on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, by the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, His Royal Highness Prince Lonkhokhela, who underscored the importance of exploring innovative solutions to sanitation challenges. He welcomed the mission’s work as an opportunity to assess technologies that have proven effective in Brazil’s dense and informal settlements, and which may be adapted to meet Eswatini’s own community needs.
The visit is a direct outcome of a 2022 learning exchange, during which officials from the Ministry of Health, the Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC), and UNICEF travelled to Brazil to study sewer treatment systems in clustered and low-income neighbourhoods. That trip offered insight into how Brazil’s condominium sewer model—designed to serve communities that are traditionally difficult to connect to conventional sewer networks—can offer a cost-effective, scalable, and socially inclusive option for sanitation expansion.
Inspired by the potential for adaptation, Brazilian experts have now come to Eswatini to conduct on-site assessments, review technical conditions, and hold consultations with national and local stakeholders.
As part of the mission, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy has identified Kwaluseni, specifically the Mbhuleni and Mbikwakhe corridor, as the pilot zone for scoping and feasibility studies. The area, characterised by mixed settlement patterns and growing population density, is seen as a suitable testing ground for the condominium approach, which relies on shared, community-level sewer networks rather than individual household connections.
Throughout their stay, the delegation—accompanied by UNICEF Eswatini—will hold engagements with a wide range of partners who play critical roles in water governance, environmental oversight, and local administration. These include the Department of Water Affairs, the Eswatini Environmental Authority, the Eswatini Water Services Corporation, Matsapha Municipality, the Kwaluseni Inkhundla Council, and the Manzini Regional Administrator’s Office.
The meetings will focus on technical evaluations, regulatory considerations, community requirements, and cost-sharing models, all of which will inform the development of a possible pilot project. Stakeholders are expected to discuss how the system could help meet national goals for improved sanitation access, environmental protection, and public health.
UNICEF representatives noted that sustainable sanitation remains central to achieving equitable service delivery, particularly in peri-urban and informal communities that often fall outside the reach of traditional infrastructure investments. They emphasised that partnerships such as this one are crucial for bringing innovative, affordable technologies to the communities most in need.
As Eswatini continues to explore practical solutions for expanding sanitation coverage, the Brazilian mission provides an opportunity to strengthen South-South cooperation while tapping into global expertise. Should the model prove feasible, the condominium sewer system could become a transformative tool in the country’s pursuit of safe, sustainable sanitation for all.
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Courtesy Pic)
