By Phesheya Ian Kunene
BHANGANOMA – Government’s Regional Development Fund (RDF) has come through once again, this time delivering state-of-the-art classrooms and a modern agriculture laboratory valued at E2.1 million to Thembelihle Primary and High Schools in Mtsambama Inkhundla.
On Wednesday, Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development S’khumbuzo Dlamini rolled up his sleeves and officially handed over the two educational structures during a lively ceremony held at Bhanganoma Chiefdom.
The funding, he said, marked government’s unwavering commitment to education, rural development and inclusive learning.
“These are not just buildings, they are opportunities,” said the minister, as he addressed the crowd. “We’re investing in the minds and futures of our children, ensuring that learners in rural areas get the same quality environment as those in urban centres.”
The E2.1 million boost from RDF funded a block of classrooms at Thembelihle Primary School, now offering a safer, more inspiring space for learning, and a fully equipped agriculture lab at Thembelihle High School, which is already generating income through its egg-laying project.
The primary school was also praised for its inclusivity, accommodating 45 learners with special needs.
“This is a powerful example of what education should be, accessible to every child, regardless of ability,” Dlamini said. “We must build with purpose, and these facilities do exactly that.”
Meanwhile, the high school’s agriculture laboratory was hailed as a strategic game-changer.
“Agriculture is the heartbeat of our economy,” the minister said. “This lab equips young people with practical skills they can take into the real world. I’ve heard you already have 59 chickens producing over 60 eggs a day, that’s what we call education in action.”
Dlamini encouraged teachers to fully utilise the new infrastructure and challenged learners to treat the facilities as springboards for their dreams. “These walls carry your future. What you do with them is what will build the next Eswatini,” he said.
The ceremony capped a week of high-impact rural development for the ministry, which had just concluded project handovers worth E2.6 million in Ngudzeni.
With each handover, the RDF continues to show that it’s more than a funding mechanism, it’s a tool for transformation, equity and community empowerment.
(Courtesy Pics)
