Lobamba– Despite government having handed over 1 033 houses to vulnerable emaSwati since late 2023, Kwaluseni and Mbabane East Tinkhundla have not received a single house.
This was said by the Deputy Prime Minister Senator Thulisile Dladla in the House of Assembly on September 9,2026.
She was responding to oral questions from Sigwe Member of Parliament David Cruiser Ngcamphalala, who sought clarity on the number of houses and neighbourhood care points (NCPs) contracted by the ministry across the country’s 59 Tinkhundla centres.
Ngcamphalala also asked whether the ministry had a clear and costed implementation plan for the next phase of construction, including which Tinkhundla would be prioritised and the timelines for construction.
He further wanted to know the criteria used by the ministry to identify beneficiaries.
In response, DPM clarified that the 1 033 houses reported by government since late 2023 had already been handed over to vulnerable beneficiaries.
Her clarification comes after Mbabane East MP Welcome Dlamini previously questioned government’s reported figure of 1 033 houses during a parliamentary debate, asking where the houses were located.
Dlamini had expressed doubt over the reported number and called for greater realism when government reported on the number of houses constructed for vulnerable citizens.
However, Dladla today maintained the 1 033 figure and explained that the houses had been delivered through different sources of funding.
She said government had allocated E1 million for the construction of nine houses during the previous financial year.
Other houses, she said, were constructed through assistance from organisations and bilateral partners, including Taiwan.
Dladla said another E3 million was available through bilateral assistance, while E5 million had been approved during the current financial year.
She further said E6 million was expected through another bilateral arrangement.
However, she acknowledged that the E5 million and E6 million had not yet been received.
TWO TINKHUNDLA LEFT OUT
Dladla’s response revealed that the distribution of houses has not been even across the 59 Tinkhundla.
She specifically identified Kwaluseni and Mbabane East as Tinkhundla that had not received houses.
In Mbabane East, Dladla said the ministry encountered difficulties when assessing potential beneficiaries because of uncertainty over whether certain areas were classified as urban or rural.
The situation prompted questions over how the ministry determines which communities qualify for the housing programme and how areas are prioritised.
MANDLANGEMPISI LEADS
Hhukwini MP Alec Lushaba questioned the distribution of the 1 033 houses.
He said if the houses had been distributed equally among the 59 Tinkhundla, each constituency would have received approximately 18 houses.
Lushaba wanted to know which Tinkhundla had benefited the most from the programme.
Dladla said Mandlangempisi Inkhundla was leading, having received nine houses.
She explained that the houses could not be distributed equally because Tinkhundla differ in size and levels of need.
The explanation means that the number of houses allocated to each Inkhundla is influenced by the size of the constituency and the needs of its population rather than an equal allocation.
WHO GETS A HOUSE?
On the selection of beneficiaries, Dladla said the process involved several people at community level.
She said Members of Parliament, Bucopho and community members assisted in identifying people considered to be in need of houses.
Social workers from the ministry also assisted in identifying and assessing vulnerable people.
However, the programme continues to face practical challenges.
Dladla said land ownership was among the problems encountered by the ministry.
She explained that officials sometimes found that land identified for construction did not belong to the person intended to benefit from the programme.
She said this could delay or prevent construction.
Manzini South and Manzini were also identified among areas where only a few houses had been constructed.
MORE MONEY NEEDED
Dladla said the need for houses among vulnerable emaSwati remained extremely high.
She acknowledged that the work required to address the country’s housing needs was enormous.
“Lomsebenti munyenti,” she said.
She said the scale of the problem was such that if she had E100 million, she would use it to address the housing needs.
“Kube kuyangami ngabe ngina E100 million,” Dladla said.
Her comments highlighted the funding pressure facing the programme as government seeks to provide decent shelter to more vulnerable families.
While government has reported that 1 033 houses have been handed over since late 2023, today’s parliamentary questioning showed that significant gaps remain in the distribution of houses across the country’s 59 Tinkhundla.
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