Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala says the Eswatini Urban Forum will directly confront the paradox defining modern local municipalities by expanding mandates coupled with constrained financial resources.
According to Maphalala, the forum is aligned closely with the ministry’s strategic plan (2025–2030) and global urban agendas.
He said this year’s forum will convene under a vital and timely mandate.
The second Eswatini Urban Forum will be held from October 28 to 30 themed: ‘Empowering Eswatini’s Local Authorities: Financing, Smart Solutions, Resilient Infrastructure, and Housing for All.’
He was speaking during the launch of the Second Eswatini Urban Forum on Wednesday.
Maphalala stated that local authorities were increasingly expected to deliver complex digital transitions, green infrastructure and essential social services, yet they often face systemic revenue shortfalls and traditional funding bottlenecks. He said the forum will provide a strategic platform to bridge this mandate-resource gap.
“By bringing together policymakers, municipal leaders, traditional authorities, development partners and private sector innovators, this conference definitively shifts the conversation from planning to execution,” he said.
Maphalala added that the forum interrogates how the country’s towns and cities can pioneer sustainable revenue streams, fast-track climate-resilient infrastructure and smart city blueprints, foster inclusive local economies driven by youth empowerment and deliver dignified housing solutions through proactive informal settlement upgrading.
He said this year’s theme was much more than a title, but an urgent, uncompromising call to action.
He said it was designed to future-proof the kingdom’s urban centres, ensuring that national growth was not only economically viable and digitally advanced, but fundamentally inclusive, leaving no area and no urban citizen behind.
He said to frame a comprehensive and forward-looking urban forum, discussions will be anchored by six core sub-themes carefully structured to address the most pressing administrative, developmental and structural priorities.
“A forum of this magnitude and importance cannot succeed in isolation; it requires the collective wisdom, voice, and energy of our entire nation.
“Therefore, I am extending an open invitation to participate and engage in conversation to a broad spectrum of stakeholders,” he said.
He invited policymakers, municipal leaders and councillors, traditional authorities, development partners, private sector innovators, civil society organisations, youth leaders, academia, researchers, urban planners, housing practitioners and developers, among other key stakeholders, to join the conversation.
“To secure your place at this landmark event, I am pleased to announce that registration will commence next week and the official registration portal will be ready by tomorrow. I encourage all interested participants to visit our channels early to register and be part of this vital and historic dialogue,” he said.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Housing Portfolio Committee Chairperson Sibongile Mamba stated that the ministry must update its laws and policies.
She said as they speak, the laws and policies that were being used by the ministry were too old.
She said the ministry had to provide services to urban communities with the little budget allocated to it, appreciating the World Bank for the work that they have done.
“The toilets provided to communities are the best.
“We hope that the bank will continue prioritising Eswatini,” she said.
LINK DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLANS TO REALITY – MINISTER
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala says the drought management plans for municipalities should be taken a little bit further so that they can be linked to reality.
Maphalala shared this during the launch of the drought management plans for 14 municipalities by the National Disaster Risk Management Authority (NDRMA) on Wednesday. The minister stated that if a water shortage disaster strikes, the country would still rely on the Hawane Dam.
He said they should be able to ask themselves if Hawane Dam would be able to sustain the country the same way it did in 2016. He said they needed to take their planning to another level. He appreciated that municipalities, with the assistance of NDRMA, have prepared drought management plans. He applauded all municipalities that participated.
“If drought comes, we should know if they will help us with the devastating effects. About E3.8 billion was lost during the last drought and our budget is around E39 to E40 billion, which means that it is a huge percentage of our budget that is being lost in one season. We are not prepared to suffer this at this time of cash flow challenges that are being faced by government,” he said.
Maphalala appealed for effective communication and coordination. He said the country needs to also sharpen its early warning systems, stating that when it comes to El Niño, the nation should be informed on when it would arrive in the region.
He said he was aware that there were weather projections but stated that there should be more focus on timelines. He noted that they might be mistaken because they were projecting the future but they should communicate so that they have national consolidated efforts in sensitising citizens.
Acting NDRMA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sandile Thwala stated that municipalities are where drought risk becomes immediate and visible. He said this was in terms of the reliability of water supply, the continuity of essential services, the functioning of businesses and institutions, and the daily lives of urban residents.
He said drought was a slow-onset hazard, but its effects are neither slow nor distant for the people and institutions that depend on reliable water. He said in Eswatini, drought conditions placed pressure on water availability, food production, livelihoods, ecosystems, and public health.
“In urban areas, these pressures have been especially evident through constrained water supplies, increased demand on limited systems, disruption to households and businesses, as well as growing strain on municipalities responsible for sanitation, public facilities, local economic activity and other essential services. Because each municipality has different water sources, demand patterns, infrastructure, vulnerabilities, and response capacity, drought risk management must be grounded in local realities while supported by strong national coordination and guidance,” he said.
He added that the timing of the launch was important because drought risk in the region was evolving and changing climate conditions can quickly place pressure on water resources and municipal systems.
“Preparedness cannot begin only when impacts are already being felt. We must continuously monitor official climate, water and drought information, interpret what emerging conditions mean for each municipality and take proportionate early action as risks increase,” he said.
He added that this was why the operational drought management plans were so important, as they provide each municipality with a preparedness framework for drought emergencies.
World Bank’s Water Supply and Sanitation Access Project Team Lead Nathan Engle said they were behind the development of the drought management plans. He said the country should shift from reactive drought management to one that is proactive. He said through these plans, he believes that the country is better prepared for the upcoming drought than it was 10 years ago.
