BY MBONO MDLULI
LOBAMBA – The construction of Mpakeni Dam is set to continue even in the coming 2024/25 financial year, as an amount of E630 million has been allocated for this project.
Speaking yesterday when delivering his Budget Speech for 2024/25 in the House of Assembly, Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg said embarked on significant capital investments in the Agriculture sector. He said Government was currently in the process of constructing the Mpakeni dam, which would provide water for irrigation and other developments mainly under the Shiselweni region.
“A sum of E630 million in the budget has been earmarked for this inthe 2024/25 financial year. We are grateful to His Majesty King Mswati III for conducting the sod-cutting to mark the commencement of such an important project,” Rijkenberg said.
Adding, Rijkenberg stated that he had also tabled a loan bill to provide for the construction of a canal from the dam. Unlike previous bulk water infrastructure projects, for this project, Government would be constructing the dam, canal and in-field infrastructure at the same time so that when the dam was complete, the holistic project could start supplying water to farmers straight away. This project should unlock a growth of 0.25 percent of GDP in 2026, 0.5 percent in 2027, and 2 percent in 2028, according to Rijkenberg.
Meanwhile, the LUSIP II project has also been allocated a budget of E417 million to bring it to completion so that the nation could start to realise real returns from its utilisation and feeding into the overall growth imperative in the medium term. As this project roles out, it should give the nation 0.5 percent growth in 2024, 0.5 percent growth in 2025, and 0.75 percent growth in GDP in 2026, according to the Minister.
Government, according to Rijkenberg, is currently working on a holistic, integrated farming training programme with associated loans, industry development, technical, logistical and supply chain support, to address the pressing issues of unemployment, poverty and food self-sufficiency, in response to Sibaya submissions. The nation will be engaged for input on this project before launching. This programme is modeled to be able to release at least 0.25 percent GDP growth in 2026, 0.5 percent growth in 2027, and 0.75 percent growth in 2028.
Eswatini Investments Promotions Authority is also planning to build an eco-city which will cost around E3.6 billion around the dam, as it was reported by this publication last month.
According to other reports, Mpakeni Dam, which is situated in Mpakeni, unbder Sigwe Constituency, in the Shiselweni Region, is part of the first component (Phase 1) of the Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project, which is expected to create jobs for 10 000 people and benefit 100 000 Emaswati. In August last year, His Majesty King Mswati III officially opened the construction of the dam and its construction would cost around E3.5 billion. The project is expected to take 51 months (four years and three months) to be completed.
