THE Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Eswatini Standards Authority (ESWASA) have entered into a formal partnership aimed at strengthening standards, compliance and quality assurance across the country’s construction sector.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at the CIC Head Office yesterday.
This marked a pivotal step in improving the regulation, testing and certification of construction materials, contractors and artisans.
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CIC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maqhawe Mnisi said the collaboration was based on strengthening compliance with mandatory standards across the entire construction value chain.
He noted that the construction industry consisted of various players, including consultancy firms responsible for designing and supervising works, and contractors tasked with building to the required time, cost and quality standards.
Mnisi explained that these three indicators — time, cost and quality — are inseparable from standards and highlight why institutional collaboration is essential.
He emphasised that manufacturers and suppliers of construction materials must also form part of the strengthened compliance system, as construction sites depend daily on assured quality of materials and adherence to safety and technical requirements.
He said the CIC’s mandate includes ensuring that all construction sites meet MS standards relating to compliance criteria, expertise required on-site and the quality of material used during construction. The council would intensify work to ensure that infrastructure projects, including buildings and roads, align with acceptable international standards.
“The collaboration comes at a time when climatic conditions are presenting new risks to infrastructure.
Severe floods recorded in the past two years exposed vulnerabilities linked to material quality, with some infrastructure collapsing as a result.
Stakeholders in the sector have raised concerns relating to both imported and locally produced construction materials,” said Mnisi.
Proactive
He said CIC intended to play a proactive role by expanding its oversight over construction materials entering the country.
This includes strengthening control mechanisms, improving monitoring processes and helping address gaps within the current regulatory framework.
As part of this effort, the CIC is reviewing the Act establishing it, which is currently in draft form. The revised legislation will be taken through the ministry of public works and transport, then to the relevant authorities, including Cabinet and Parliament, for adoption.
Another focus area for the CIC is the grading and testing of individual artisans.
Mnisi said it is the council’s responsibility to ensure that curricula and testing standards align with internationally recognised benchmarks.
Through the partnership with ESWASA, the CIC anticipates enhanced support in ensuring that training programmes and assessments reflect global standards.
ESWASA Chief Executive Officer Ncamiso Mhlanga said the collaboration would focus on developing and implementing joint standards for the construction industry.
He noted that while some standards already exist, others still needed to be developed, and both institutions would ensure that the standards were not only written, but also applied across the sector. Mhlanga stated that ESWASA did not regulate industries directly but works with regulatory bodies to ensure that their work follows approved standards.
He said the MoU outlined joint responsibilities for standards development, implementation and support.
A key component of the agreement was the introduction of measures to strengthen quality assurance and consumer protection.
Mhlanga said property owners must have have confidence that their buildings meet appropriate quality benchmarks.
“To support this, the collaboration will introduce certification programmes for builders, electricians and other operators. These certifications will complement CIC registration requirements and ensure that workers are certified to perform the tasks they undertake,” said Mhlanga.
He said the certification process was meant to confirm competence, adherence to quality standards and the ability to perform work safely and correctly. ESWASA would work with CIC to guide contractors and artisans through the required training and capacity-building initiatives.
Mhlanga said the partnership would also focus on increasing support for contractors and artisans, ensuring that they understand and consistently apply standards.
He noted that capacity building would be a major component of the rollout, with training programmes designed to support all industry players so that no one is left behind.
Another major area addressed in the MoU is the testing and verification of products used in the construction industry.
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