BY LINDELWA MYENI
PHUZUMOYA – Many concerns and views, both positive and negative, have been raised around the Strategic Oil Reserve Facility (SORF) project, and stakeholders will now have a formal platform to voice project-related grievances and seek solutions following the launch of the facility’s Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) at Phuzumoya.
The mechanism, launched by the Eswatini National Petroleum Company (ENPC), is intended to ensure that concerns from communities, businesses and other stakeholders affected by the project are formally received, assessed, investigated and addressed through a transparent process.
Stakeholders can raise grievances through several channels, including telephone, email, written correspondence, community meetings, face-to-face engagement, an online submission portal and a suggestion box at the project site.
VOICES GIVEN A PLATFORM
Concerns can be raised during public consultations and stakeholder engagement sessions or directly with ENPC representatives using the prescribed form.
A suggestion box has been placed at the project site, while anonymous grievances may also be submitted and assessed to the extent possible.
The GRM covers concerns raised by individuals, households, communities, organisations, businesses or authorised representatives regarding actual or perceived impacts arising from the project and the activities of ENPC, contractors, subcontractors, the project manager or other project delivery parties.
GRIEVANCES PUT THROUGH PROCESS
Once a grievance is received, it will be assessed for urgency and registered before being screened, classified and assigned for investigation.
The grievance will then be investigated, findings determined and an appropriate remedy approved. The agreed action will be implemented and communicated to the complainant, with corrective measures monitored through to closure.
The GRM Coordinator will receive, register, screen and acknowledge grievances, assign grievance owners, monitor timelines, coordinate communication and appeals, and maintain records and reports.
Grievance owners will investigate complaints, consult relevant parties, document findings, recommend resolutions and monitor corrective actions until closure.
The General Manager will provide oversight, review escalated grievances, approve significant remedies, allocate resources and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
The mechanism also provides for an independent appeals process through an Appeals Authority or Committee, which may confirm, revise or overturn an original decision. The authority handling an appeal must not have participated in the original decision.
MATTERS OUTSIDE THE GRM
The GRM does not cover employment enquiries, which are directed to the WBHO Human Resources site office, or employee and labour disputes involving salaries, wages, disciplinary matters, promotions and trade union issues.
Matters before or decided by courts, criminal activities such as theft, fraud, corruption, assault and vandalism, procurement and tender complaints, and contractual disputes between contracting partners are also excluded and must follow the relevant legal, organisational or contractual processes.
Complaints outside the project scope, grievances unrelated to project impacts, and policy and legislative matters are similarly excluded.
The mechanism also excludes intentionally false or frivolous complaints made to cause project delays or containing abusive or threatening language without evidence.
The launch establishes a formal avenue for dialogue between the SORF project and its stakeholders, giving affected parties a clear route to communicate concerns and allowing the project team to investigate and work towards appropriate solutions.
The mechanism is expected to support continued stakeholder engagement throughout construction by ensuring that project-related concerns can be raised, tracked and addressed through an established process.
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