Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to decentralise its services, in line with the direction outlined by His Majesty Mswati III during the Speech from the Throne.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Appolo Maphalala revealed this shortly after the King officially opened the Third Session of the 12th Parliament on Friday, 20 February 2026, at Lobamba.
Reacting to the King’s address, Maphalala, the former Malkerns Town Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said the Ministry welcomed the guidance provided by the Head of State, particularly on economic sustainability and service delivery.
“Sekhuta Lwandle has covered all the economic and social issues affecting the country. As a nation, we cannot continue to rely on very limited sources of funding to support government development initiatives,” said the minister.
He was referring to the Kingdom’s reliance on revenue from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), which the King indicated should be revisited. Maphalala said the challenge presented to Government was to explore alternative revenue streams and reduce dependence on SACU receipts.
The minister further noted that the King had addressed matters directly affecting the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, particularly the need to decentralise government services to rural areas.
“He urged us to decentralise government services so that people do not migrate to urban centres and contribute to congestion in our cities,” Maphalala said.
He explained that rural-to-urban migration is often driven by the search for employment opportunities and access to essential services. By bringing services closer to communities in rural areas, Government would not only improve accessibility but also help ease pressure on urban infrastructure.
“If we bring services to rural areas, we will be directly addressing congestion in cities caused by people travelling to access government services,” he added.
Maphalala further stated that the Ministry was advancing the implementation of the National Spatial Planning Framework, which aims to guide orderly development across the country.
According to the minister, the framework will ensure that housing development is properly planned and coordinated. He said this would also assist in addressing the proliferation of informal settlements and squatter camps, particularly along the boundaries of central business districts.
The decentralisation drive, he emphasised, forms part of a broader effort to promote balanced national development and improve living conditions for emaSwati across all regions.
