Africa-Press – Eswatini. ‘Know the rules, play the game and help build a better Eswatini’
This was the message as over 30 suppliers packed the Hilton Garden Inn on Monday for a high-powered workshop that is set to reshape rural education across Eswatini.
The Ministry of Education and Training, with support from the World Bank, has rolled out the red carpet for local suppliers at a Suppler Development Workshop that unpacked procurement rules with the power to unlock over E480 million in support for rural schools.
The project, worth E480 million (USD 27 million) is targeting 340 schools across the country, most of them deep in rural areas and already laptops, tablets, photocopiers and play tools are already finding their way to schools in Gege and Sigwe.
The Project coordinator, Khanyisile Mokoena, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Education, said the pilot phase is already in motion with 22 schools having benefited already.
Mokoena said 20 primary schools, 20 secondary schools, 20 Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE) centres and 16 OVC Boys and girls’ clubs, are all locked in for transformation.
Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo speaking during the press conference.
“This is not about ticking boxes. It is about real lives, real learners and real results,” she said poetically.
Representing the World Bank, Dr. Phumzile Magagula urged the attendees to go beyond business as usual.
“Procurements is not just a formality, it is a force for good,” she said. She emphasised the World Bank’s Core values of transparency, fairness, competition and value for money.
“This is your moment to align with global standards, to ask questions and to understand the why behind every procurement rule.
Let us ensure that procurement is not just a step in the process but a driver of quality, accountability and development success,” she said.
The Ministry’s Procurement Specialist Lomakhosi Magagula gave a crash course in winning World bank tenders – from conflict of interest to choosing the right market approach, from tender thresholds to writing winning proposals.
“Respect the process. Stick to the principles. Compete like you mean it,” she said.
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