LAVUMISA: A new city is coming. It will be built in Shiselweni with funding of the African Development Bank (ADB) in partnership with Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE).
The Eco City is part of the almost E20 billion Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project that is building a pipeline to capture water off the Mkhondvo River, west of Nhlangano and convey it to the Mpakeni dam currently under construction on the foothills of the Lugolweni Mountains east of Sigwe in Lavumisa.
EWADE CEO Samson Sithole says the planned city will incorporate a free enterprise zone as well as an industrial park. The industrial park will, among others, process agricultural produce from EWADE’s extensive agricultural network of farms producing everything from sugarcane, maize, beans, banana and livestock.
Though location of the city has yet to be announced, industry sources say a farm has been identified for the development.
The new development is being funded by ADB under its Urban and Municipal Development Fund (UMDF) and is closely linked with the development of the transformative agro-industrial hub that will boost economic activities and attract tens of thousands of people, including workers.
The Fund approved a grant of $400,000 to the “Eswatini New Eco-Green City Masterplan“ on 8 June 2024. The grant will support the planning of a new urban area in the Shiselweni region, where, due to water availability and irrigation infrastructure the population and economic activities are expected to grow quickly over the next few years.
The project includes the setting up of a special agro-processing zone, to be undertaken by ESWADE as a public-private partnership. The new dam and irrigation project under MNWAP will generate approximately 100, 000 jobs, mostly owner-workers, creating the need for housing, health and education services for workers and their families.
The south-eastern Shiselweni region faces the highest level of poverty in the country yet is very suitable for agricultural activity due to its rich soil. Though it is the driest region in Eswatini with an annual precipitation of 500 mm per annum, is is excellent for livestock, especially cattle and goats. Reducing drought vulnerability and developing economic activities is a priority for the government, which is supporting the construction of three dams – two on the Mkhondvo, including the Themba Dam to enable irrigation.
The MNWAP plan which is implemented in two phases is driven by a value-chain approach which includes agricultural diversification (horticulture, cotton, dry beans, oil crops) that will enable agro-processing and attract new industries and workers. The first phase seeks to develop the Mpakeni Dam, whose water will be piped to irrigate communal commercial farms in a belt from Mconcwane and Maloma all the way to St Phillips in Sithobelweni. Here the belt of irrigated farms will almost meet with developments from the earlier LUSIP 1 projects in the Ngcamphalala and Siphofaneni area. However the Ngwavuma water is insufficient to meet the needs of greater Lavumisa.
Phase ll of the MNWAP, also funded by the ADB and the Opec Fund will develop a dam at top of the Mkhondvo escarpment west of Nhlangano and pipe that water around the south of Nhlangano to fill the Mpakeni dam. This additional water will be delivered to Qomintaba and Matsanjeni as well as Somntongo, which will also greatly relieve the border town of Lavumisa.
The city anticipates an influx of new migrants stimulated by the growth of the agro-industrial complex who will need accommodation. A well-planned new eco-city is expected to provide high quality services for the population, stimulate economic diversification, create sustainable employment and reduce poverty in the area, while safeguarding the environment.
The ADB has committed to assist with a development vision and strategy outlining the government’s aims and objectives. It will also lend support to the development plan for the new Eco City and agro-processing zones linked to existing and future development initiatives.
A master plan for the Eco City’s holistic development, including sustainable infrastructure needs assessment, pre-feasibility studies and investment packaging to support downstream investments by the African Development Bank and other partners, will also be addressed.
The Urban and Municipal Development Fund’s support will be key for the design of the development plan and to identify the non-agricultural elements of the project, including but not limited to energy and transportation. The fund will support with the urban planning aspects of the project.
“Climate adaptation and mitigation approaches and solutions will be at the center of the urban planning, solutions and sector investment development,” Stated Marcus Mayr, UMDF coordinator, who presented the project during the fund’s oversight committee.
Jm/today/12.12.2024
