The Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission (INMACOM) has appointed Eswatini national Sindy Mthimkhulu as its new Executive Secretary. Her appointment takes effect from August 1, 2025.
Mthimkhulu was officially introduced on Tuesday during a ceremony held in Maputo, Mozambique. Senior government officials from Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa attended the event, which served to formally welcome her into the role.
Before joining INMACOM, Mthimkhulu served as the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Joint River Basin Authorities (JRBA) Project Board in Eswatini. She also worked for more than 15 years in Eswatini’s Department of Water Affairs, gaining experience in water governance and resource management.
During her time at the JRBA Project Board, Mthimkhulu strengthened Eswatini’s River Basin Authorities and pushed forward the country’s national water resources management efforts. She managed projects that promoted better water governance and resource sharing across river basins, including regional cooperation with South Africa’s Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency (IUCMA) and Mozambique’s ARA-SUL IP under the REMCO partnership.
Mthimkhulu also contributed to the negotiations and drafting of the Inco-Maputo Agreement, equipping her with hands-on knowledge of the legal and technical aspects of cross-border water management.
She holds a Master of Philosophy in Integrated Water Management (IWM) and Water Governance from Monash South Africa, where she focused her research on using water footprint methods to address water shortages in Eswatini’s sugar industry. She also obtained a Master of Science in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) from the University of Zimbabwe, covering hydrology, aquatic ecology, environmental management, policy, and conflict resolution in water resources.
Her appointment places a Swati citizen at the helm of a regional body tasked with ensuring sustainable water management across the Incomati and Maputo river basins shared by Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa.
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