By Lwazi Dlamini
Local road construction companies would be delighted to know that the permanent access road in the E2.6 billion Mpakeni Dam Project will be solely for them at a fee of E250 million.
This was revealed by Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Samson Sithole when addressing members of the Editor’s Forum during a tour of the multi-billion project on Thursday.
Sithole explained that while the contractor Sakhalive Joint Venture, made up of Nippon Koei, Koei Africa and ZMCK Consulting Engineers will do the bulk of the job, there is an opportunity for the local companies with the E250 million worth tender of the permanent access road.
Sithole said he is confident that a quality dam will be delivered at a cost-effective period.
ALSO READ: USL, EWADE sign MoU to plant 4000 hectares of sugarcane
Sithole’s words were echoed by the Chief Engineer of the E2.6 billion Project, Veli Vilane who said the conditions attached to the whole project were strict and monitored by even the financier, African Development Bank (AfDB).
“We do encourage the contractor to ensure they offer tenders even to the local suppliers and we have a long list of local companies who are supplying and offering services as well.
The permanent access road will go to the locals,” Vilane said.
Vilane said at the present moment, the Project had employed 412 local workers including 35 senior managers/staffs.
“These include 170 skill labourers and 207 general workers. At the peak of the project, we anticipate that between 900 to 1 000 workers would have been employed,” Vilane said.
The Sakhalive Joint Venture, which won the US$136 million tender to construct the historic Dam on the Ingwavuma River, is controlled by Yellow River – a company affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources – and Sinohydro.
The project is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
His Majesty King Mswati III officially launched the historical construction of the Mpakeni during a sod-cutting ceremony held at Mpakeni, under the Sigwe Inkhundla, on August 11, 2023.
This marked the start of the first component (Phase 1) of the Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project expected to create jobs for 10 000 people and benefit 100 000 emaSwati.
ALSO READ: EWADE BIG WINS
The King said, during the sod-cutting ceremony, that the dam project was expected to put about 10,000 hectares of land under irrigation in the Shiselweni region, with the potential to expand and develop more in the future.
“In its totality, the project will irrigate 30,000 hectares of land and benefit a total of 100,000 emaSwati,” the King said.
He said the project design presents infinite investment opportunities and socio-economic benefits such as a proposed multi-billion Emalangeni Eco-City, a hydropower plant and an agro-industrial processing zone.
