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Despite several efforts by the donor community and the rural development fund under the ministry of Tinkhundla administration, things have virtually fallen apart at Hlutse, a poverty stricken human settlement area near Phonjwane on the way to Siphofaneni, the residents have just about given hope on anything especially on community development projects that they undertake jointly as a collective. The water pump went caput so did the hammer mill and now residents must folk out money to hire cars to the nearby hammer mills off Siphofaneni, Phonjwane several ten kilometers away. There is zero source of income save for teachers and nurses working at the local schools and clinic, the rest survive of handouts or relatives, what with the devastating effects of climate change delayed government tractor services.

Dumsane Dlamini, the coordinator of the temporary community development committee says the water pump project failed because members were not adequately sensitized and trained on how to manage it. The first committee when the project was introduced stubbornly refused to vacate office when elections came even after the 10 year life span for after which the project was reviewed.

Two decades later the same committee members stuck into office and kept documents while the population increased and water levels lowered without the project adapting to the needs of the community by it being improved by way of expansion or maintenance.

World Vision Eswatini arrived to intervene by buying a pump for the community that was nearly succumbing to the devastating effects of the drought in the nineties but days after the pump was installed some rogues came to steal the cables. World Vision again came to rescue buying another cable but the pump is not effective enough to cover the entire population especially because even those who get the water they hardly afford electricity. The interim committee after the pump was up and running proposed a E5 per month, per homestead, towards buying units of electricity to pump the engine but now it has become evident that this is not sufficient and the committee sigejane has suggested a e50 joining fee and E30 per month per month per homestead if the project would be sustainable, unfortunately very many find hard to afford even this arrangement.

The new committee adopted the slogan ‘development knows no boundary’ and decided to incorporate communities from as far as Vikizijula, Madvuma, Mandlovu, Lusutfu and Lesibovu but this is a mammoth task and funding is not forthcoming, not only funding in fact but also cooperation  among the residents themselves to take the project yonder is somewhat tough. Hope is not lost, though because last week the committee members were at rural water in Siteki to request assistance for the evaluation of the present status of the project and its ambition reach to all the said areas, they need pipes and the construction of a reservoir on high ground to be able to use the; ‘Swazi’ gear for water to reach the communities in low lying areas down the valleys. Most of the other material was vandalized but the interim committee vows to instil a sense of ownership, thanks to advice for experts from the Eastern and Southern African Farmers Forum who educate the residents about the importance of embracing government funded projects and making follow-ups on government commitment to deliver services to the people including interpreting and following up on the budget and speeches by politicians.

The ideal is to empower the community to run own projects sustainably as is the case with the resuscitation of the water project.

STORY BY: ACKEL ZWANE