Lobamba– Parliament has been urged to review the Water Services Corporation Act, 1992 (Act No. 12 of 1992) amid concerns that the legislation no longer adequately protects domestic water users by distinguishing them from commercial consumers.
The proposal emerged during debate on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy’s First Quarter Performance Report on Friday, where legislators argued that the Act, enacted more than three decades ago, should be aligned with the country’s current socio-economic realities.
Contributing to the debate, one Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament Marwick Khumalo said the law should clearly differentiate between water consumed by households for basic daily needs and water used by businesses for commercial purposes.
He argued that applying the same consumption framework to both categories failed to recognise the essential nature of domestic water use and warranted legislative intervention.
“The law must distinguish between domestic and commercial water consumption. Water used by households should not be treated in the same manner as water used by businesses,” the MP submitted.
The legislator maintained that amending the Water Services Corporation Act of 1992 would strengthen the protection of domestic consumers while providing a more equitable legal framework for water service delivery.
While calling for legislative reform, the Khumalo commended the Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC), saying the entity had continued to perform beyond its statutory mandate in providing water services to the nation.
The debate also shifted to the energy sector, where the MP questioned the Eswatini Electricity Company’s procurement practices, alleging that some tenders were being awarded to South African companies instead of local suppliers.
He argued that government-owned entities should prioritise local businesses wherever capacity exists to stimulate economic growth and retain public funds within the country.
The MP further called on the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) to furnish Parliament with information on licences issued to electricity generation companies, saying legislators should be kept informed as Eswatini expands private sector participation in electricity generation.
Responding to concerns raised by Members of Parliament over the growing number of foreign companies securing EEC tenders, the Minister of Natural Resources amd Energy Prince Lonkhokhelo said the issue was not a lack of willingness to support local businesses but rather the qualification criteria attached to externally funded projects. He said the country needed to deliberately develop local contractors by strengthening their technical capacity and qualifications so they could compete for such contracts in future.
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