By Bahle Gama
The Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development has presented funding for infrastructure at Ngololweni Primary and High Schools valued at E1 million.
This is part of the development mobilisation exercise by the Ministry.
Making the presentation on Saturday, Minister Sikhumbuzo Dlamini said the Ministry has over the years availed resources through the Regional Development Fund (RDF) throughout the country.
The funding will cover projects that include the construction of an administration block at Ngololweni High School and perimeter fencing at Ngololweni Primary School.
“The ministry realises the importance of ensuring the sustainability of these projects as it is the Ministry’s mandate to promote and ensure sustainable development in all communities.
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The Ministry has, therefore, commissioned an impact assessment exercise to determine performance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the RDF projects since 2015,” he said.
Dlamini said the evaluation seeks to identify challenges, gaps, and possible solutions.
He disclosed that a team has been deployed and will visit the Ngololweni community to solicit views on the performance of the funded projects and how future projects can be improved.
“I encourage everyone who will participate in the assessment to give truthful information for accurate findings.
I further wish to encourage the Ngololweni Community to venture into income generating projects to improve your socio-economic status and livelihoods, sakhe imisebenti letasisimamisa kucosha kati etiko),” he said.
The Minister said he was encouraged that Ngololweni is one of the 50 where chiefdom development plans have been developed, thus remains hopeful that the plan is not gathering dust but provides guidance in all prioritised developmental projects.
“I have reliably learnt that Ngoloweni has been supported through the CDP to undertake a project on the conservation of a 30-hector wetland, the construction of an earth dam for biodiversity restoration and support for Ngololweni Siyalima Farmers,” said the Minister.
He further applauded the leadership structure of Ngololweni Chiefdom and Sandleni Inkhundla Council for embracing sustainable development and ensuring timely implementation of projects.
According to the Minister, collective participation towards development remains a vital principle for sustainability, and the leadership should always be swift in managing adversaries to development such as land disputes.
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The leadership should also fully utilize the structures in place to solve land disputes and conflicts before they can impede on development.
He added that it is important that development initiatives take place where people are instead of them relocating to other places for better opportunities.
“Ngololweni residents, more especially the youth, still need to explore eco-tourism projects by taking advantage of the natural resources such as Tjedze Rock,
Upper Shaka Hills and the big caves located in the area and explore possibilities of turning them into tourist attraction sites,” said the Minister.
