BY MBONO MDLULI
LOBAMBA – Government, through the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office (DPMO) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), constructed and rehabilitated 404 houses for vulnerable households across Eswatini during the 2025/26 financial year.
This was revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla while presenting a preamble before the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee at the Senate on March 6 2026.
Dladla said the impact of the office’s disaster response efforts has been clearly visible in communities affected by natural disasters, particularly hailstorms and wildfires that affected more than 8 300 people across the country.
Following the Build Back Better standards, the NDMA ensured that damaged homes were rebuilt or rehabilitated to safer and stronger standards in order to protect vulnerable families from future disasters.
“The practical impact of the Office through NDMA’s work is visible in our communities with effective responses to hailstorms and wildfires that affected over 8 300 people. Adhering to the Build Back Better standards, the Office constructed and rehabilitated 404 houses for the vulnerable households,” Dladla said.
In addition to housing support, the office successfully restored vital transport connections that had been damaged by flooding. Among the projects completed were the reopening of the flood damaged Tri-Cash Bridge and the rehabilitation of KaMjuda Road, which helped reconnect isolated communities to essential services and economic opportunities.
Government also expanded humanitarian support through the national Targeted Food Distribution programme, which provided essential food supplies to 263 000 beneficiaries across the country. The programme was supported by strong monitoring systems to ensure transparency and accountability.
The office further addressed the effects of climate change on food security through the Child Headed Household Programme. The initiative has supported vulnerable families with livestock, backyard gardening kits and vocational training aimed at promoting long-term self-sufficiency.
Dladla also highlighted progress made in several capital development projects implemented during the financial year. These include the development of the Dynamic National Social Registry Pilot, known as Imbeleko, which aims to strengthen the country’s social protection system through improved household data collection and profiling.
The social registry data collection exercise in the Shiselweni Region covered 44 683 households out of the projected 47 260 households. A total of 3 083 households were either vacant or did not consent to participate. Officials are currently finalising the analysis and preparing a report ahead of the national rollout of the programme across all regions.
With support from the Republic of China (Taiwan), government also constructed and rehabilitated 47 houses for vulnerable households. Additional assistance supported the construction of a boys’ hostel at St Joseph’s School.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office has requested Parliament to approve a proposed budget allocation of E1 222 391 199 for the coming financial year to continue strengthening social protection programmes and development initiatives.
Dladla emphasised that the proposed budget represents a strategic investment in national development, enabling the office to enhance service delivery and expand support programmes for vulnerable groups throughout Eswatini.
#DisasterRelief #CommunitySupport #BuildBackBetter #EswatiniDevelopment
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