BY : EUGENE DUBE

NHLANGANO: Life is literally a struggle for residents of Mbangweni in the Shiselweni region who are forced to drink water with human waste few meters away from the Royal Palace of Sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute Monarch, King Mswati III.

This disclosure comes few days after the Swazi Government used millions of public funds to purchase a jet for the King in a country where about 70% of the population lives below the poverty line with the highest HIV prevalence in the world. Residents of Mazamazama area within the Mbangweni area under the late Chief Nyakenye Matsebula showed journalists from this “Swaziland News” online publication a pond surrounded by human waste where they source water for domestic purposes. The water crisis within the area exists despite the availability of a bore that cannot be utilized by the residents as it was strictly reserved to provide water to the King’s Palace. Speaking to this publication, Lucky Mkhwanazi, the Constituency representative confirmed the existence of water challenges within the area. He said residents could not benefit from the new bore as it was established to provide water to the Palace.

“We have a water crisis at Mbangweni however I can assure you that this is being addressed. The new borehole cannot be used to provide clean water to the residents as it is strictly reserved for the Palace” he said. The residents who were interviewed by this publication blamed the challenges to the Tinkhundla system of governance, which they described as good only on a piece of paper.

“The Royal Tinkhundla system of governance looks beautiful on a piece of paper, however when one analyze the situation on the ground there is sufficient evidence that it is not effective. Money allocated for such projects went missing and Members of Parliament relocate to urban areas once they got elected “said a resident.

But Shiselweni Regional Administrator Themba Masuku when reached for comments said despite the challenges he was convinced that King Mswati remains a visionary leader who always strives to see his people having access to clean water. The former Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) said as a result, they have established water schemes even in other areas within the Shiselweni region. “I would like to assure the residents that the King remains a visionary leader who wants his people to have access to clean water. As a result we have established water schemes even in other areas within the Shiselweni region. We therefore appeal for cooperation from the residents as we work towards developing their areas” said the former DPM.

Martin Ndlovu, an elderly man who attended the King’s birthday celebration were millions of rands were spent said he was of the view that such monies should have been utilized on projects that benefits them as citizens. “I attended the King’s birthday, however I wish to state that the taxpayers money should be utilized on developmental projects. Here at Mbangweni we have water challenges for over fifteen years now. There is a new bore that provide water only to the King’s Palace. When this borehole project commenced we thought the water crisis was over as it was within our community, sadly we were later told it was strictly for the Palace” he said

The elderly man said they tried in vain to engage relevant authorities regarding the water crisis including the Member of Parliament but their challenges seems to be far from over. “I would like to appeal to authorities of the country to assist us with clean water as we are currently sharing dirty water with animals. We have been told that a scheme by the Swaziland Water Services Corporation is underway and we hope it will be of great assistance,” he said.

Another residents who cannot be named said she was not against national events like the King’s birthday celebration but was of the view that public funds shouldn’t be wasted. “My view is that such events can continue but a budget must be set aside for projects that will benefit the people. Now we are sharing water with animals and during the rainy season human waste is washed towards the ponds. During the winter season, the water source went dry such that it takes nearly three hours to fill a 20 liter container” she said.