BY LINDELWA MYENI
MBABANE – About E40 million has been invested in water schemes during the first year of Eswatini’s Universal Water Service Coverage Project, marking significant progress towards the country’s goal of ensuring every liSwati has access to clean and reliable water by 2030.
The investment has so far supported the completion and commissioning of 10 water schemes, with projects benefiting communities in five constituencies, while work on other schemes continues.
Universal Water Service Coverage Project Manager Mlamuli Busika said the five-year programme officially started on 5 July 2025 and is targeting 18 constituencies as Eswatini works towards achieving universal water access by 21 March 2030.
Speaking on the Kusile Breakfast Show on Eswatini TV, Busika said the completion of the first 10 schemes represented an important milestone as the project entered its second year.
“Every liSwati should have water access by 2030,” Busika said, highlighting the programme’s national ambition.
The project is being implemented through a partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, through the Department of Water Affairs, World Vision Eswatini and the Eswatini Water Services Corporation.
Beyond infrastructure development, the project has introduced innovations aimed at making water services more sustainable. These include water-system insurance and prepaid water metering, which are intended to strengthen the long-term sustainability and management of water systems.
The first year of the five-year project ended at the close of July, with the E40 million investment providing a strong foundation for the next phase of implementation.
The project will now focus on expanding water access to more communities, improving the reliability of existing systems, integrating sanitation and strengthening the sustainability of water services.
With the programme targeting 18 constituencies, the continued investment in water infrastructure is expected to bring Eswatini closer to its 2030 goal of universal access to clean and reliable water.
