BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – Government is now turning to nuclear energy as a resource that can be used to improve lives of Emaswati.
This transpired today (Monday, August 5, 2024) when Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela launched the Kingdom of Eswatini’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2024 to 2029, in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
According to information gathered by this publication, the CPF serves as a strategic document that outlines the country’s priorities for the next six years, with a particular focus on the application of nuclear technology for social and economic development.
The Minister outlined five key areas of focus for the Eswatini Country Programme Framework, which align with the country’s development priorities and where nuclear technology can potentially be leveraged:
• Nuclear and Radiation Safety: To ensure that nuclear and radiation facilities are operated and maintained in a safe and secure manner.
• Food and Agriculture: To enhance food security through the use of nuclear techniques for food production, preservation, and processing.
• Human Health: To improve healthcare services through the use of nuclear techniques in diagnosis and treatment.
• Water Resources Management: To optimize the management of water resources through the use of nuclear techniques for monitoring, analysis, and assessment.
• Energy Planning: To support the development of an integrated energy strategy that utilizes nuclear energy as a viable and sustainable energy source.
The Minister added, “These priority areas represent the key sectors where we believe nuclear technology can contribute to our development goals and build a stronger, more resilient Eswatini.”
The Minister also noted that the Eswatini Country Programme Framework aligned closely with the country’s National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, focusing on key areas where nuclear technology can be leveraged to support national priorities. These areas include energy security, food security, and human health, among others.
“The CPF provides a roadmap for the application of nuclear technology in a way that supports our national priorities and contributes to the social and economic development of our country. We are excited to work with the IAEA to bring these priorities to fruition,” he said.
It is stated that the Eswatini Country Programme Framework serves as a strategic guide for the effective integration of nuclear technology into the country’s existing development plans and initiatives. The Minister emphasized that the program supports the identification of areas where nuclear technology can be deployed in a manner that is beneficial for the country’s social and economic development.
