Mbabane – The Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gciniwe Fakudze has extended a public invitation to residents of the city to the municipality’s open sittings.
Speaking during the Council’s Annual General Meeting, Fakudze invited the public to attend monthly open sittings, held every last Tuesday, where residents can witness the council’s operations first-hand.
Fakudze said rate payers will only find them busy at work. She emphasised that there was less boardroom drama at MCM and more of a culture of working hard to meeting objectives.
She applauded the unity and commitment within the city’s leadership, saying the absence of internal divisions has been key to driving sustainable development and innovation in the capital.
Fakudze said unlike many institutions where boardroom politics hinder progress, the MCM continues to operate cohesively and effectively.
“The fighting in boardrooms stifles development when decisions are made based on factions. We don’t have that problem in this council,” she said. “We are working, we are vibrant, and that’s something even the minister looks at closely as a key performance indicator.”
Fakudze added that the council is fully functional, with all statutory positions filled and a youthful executive team in place.
Turning to international relations, Fakudze highlighted Mbabane’s growing network of partnerships that continue to bring value through technical assistance, knowledge sharing and funding. She cited the city’s long-standing relationship with Fort Worth, Texas, which has enabled eight Eswatini students each year to participate in fully funded cultural and leadership exchange programmes in the United States.
Over the past two decades, the initiative has sent more than 160 emaSwati youth abroad for exposure and personal development.
The CEO also commended partnerships with Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, which have played a key role in advancing Mbabane’s Smart City project, worth between E50 and E55 million. She noted that the project did not rely on ratepayers’ money but on international collaboration and technical support.
Through these partnerships, the city has implemented 57 real-time security and traffic monitoring cameras, established a Smart City Control Centre, and rolled out 5G network coverage in selected areas — all aimed at improving public safety and operational efficiency.
“We are striving for a safe Mbabane where people can walk home at night without fear, where streetlights work and where technology enhances daily life,” Fakudze said.
She revealed that the Council is working with EPTC and other partners to expand digital infrastructure, including free Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas, and to explore data-driven governance solutions. These efforts, she said, are central to improving service delivery and citizens’ quality of life.
“Government should be in your hand, just like banking,” Fakudze said, referring to the push for digital services. “If we can shop and bank online, then we should also access government services the same way.”
She further encouraged young people to use the upcoming free Wi-Fi for learning and innovation rather than just social media entertainment.
Fakudze concluded by thanking the Council’s partners — including the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology, Ministry of Housing, Taiwan ICDF, Royal Science and Technology Park, and Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, for supporting Mbabane’s digital transformation.
“Our partnerships are opening doors, empowering our youth, and transforming Mbabane into a smart, sustainable city,” she said.
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