BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – In what may come as a relief to the residents of Lunkuntfu Chiefdom, the Government has commissioned the construction of a primary school in that area.
On April 10, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thulisile Dladla and Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo visited Lunkuntfu, under Nkilongo Inkhundla in the Lubombo Region to oversee the commissioning of the primary school construction. Lunkuntfu, a remote area situated about 10 kilometres from Big Bend, will see the school construction spearheaded by Microprojects. Upon their arrival, the DPM and the minister were informed about the long-standing plight of the residents, who have faced a lack of essential facilities such as schools and a clinic.
Anna Mlotsa, a 65-year-old woman from Lunkuntfu, expressed her joy during the official commissioning of the primary school in her community. She shared that since relocating to the area in 1975, there had been no school until now. Currently, she noted, school-going children are forced to travel over 10 kilometres to schools in Big Bend, with some eventually dropping out.
The DPM conveyed her excitement about the progress made in preparation for the construction of a fully-fledged primary school. She stated that a classroom with two offices/storerooms and a block of ablutions had already been completed, expressing hope that soon, young children would no longer need to travel long distances and could enrol in the nearby school. The DPM extended her gratitude to Chief Mvimbi Matse for allocating land, as well as to the officials from the Ministry of Education and Training Eswatini for their dedication to the project’s completion.
The DPM remarked, “I am so proud of you, Minister. Together, we have already achieved so much by partnering to transform the lives of children. Micro Project has a heart for making things happen, and we are already seeing transformation in this area. If we allow children to drop out of school, the community will never progress. We must strive to establish a school.”
She encouraged the Inkhundla council to utilise the Regional Development Fund (RDF) to acquire a kombi or bus for the community, thereby reducing the need for residents to travel 10 kilometres on foot. Furthermore, the DPM pledged her Office’s commitment to constructing two houses for vulnerable child-headed households this year, with plans for two more next year.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Education assured that the primary school would be completed, with future plans for a high school. He confirmed that the ministry had already provided teachers and furniture for the school, and that fencing would soon be installed.
(Pic: DPMO)
