Happy New Year to Manzini Citizens!
…A Highlight On What To Expect In Your City In 2024
The Municipal Council of Manzini wishes citizens of the City of Manzini and all other stakeholders an exciting and prosperous new year. The Municipality trusts that citizens safely crossed over to the new year. In this week’s article the Municipality highlights some of the service delivery activities that citizens can expect during the year 2024. Please read on…
- Review and Development of New Integrated Development Plan
As the city’s 2019-2024 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) comes to an end on the 31st March 2024, the Municipality has commenced the process towards the review and development of a new IDP; which will run from 2024 to the year 2030. A city’s IDP is a comprehensive and strategic document that outlines the long-term development goals and objectives of the city. It serves as a roadmap for guiding development and transformation of the city in a coordinated and sustainable manner. The importance of citizen participation during the course of developing an IDP cannot be over-emphasised. Citizen participation ensures that a diverse range of perspectives, service delivery needs and aspirations are considered. It allows citizens to have a voice in shaping the future of their city. As part of the process, the Municipality will be rolling out a series of stakeholder engagement sessions covering a wide range of stakeholders including residents in the various municipal wards. The Municipality implores all stakeholders to invest their time into the engagement process and participate as much as possible by contributing ideas that will transform the city to first world status by 2030 and beyond. A schedule of the engagements will be shared with stakeholders as soon as possible.
- Completion of Autism Centre Phase II
The Municipality will be working on finalizing infrastructure development projects that commenced during the current integrated development planning period. Amongst them is construction of phase II of the Autism Centre; which project is currently at 70% completion. This project entails the construction of classrooms, additional ablution rooms and a play area. This will pave way for the facility to be fully operational following the completion of the first phase. The Municipality is delivering the project through financial support from the national Government; and the city remains grateful for the support.
- Municipal Abattoir To Be Re-operationalised This Year
In an effort to enhance the supply of hygienic and safe meat in the city, the Municipality embarked on the rehabilitation of its abattoir facility. Rehabilitation works are at 80% completion and will be finalized during the current year. Operations at the facility are also expected to commence this year wherein the Municipality will partner with a private contractor.
- Fairview Shopping Centre Phase 1 To Be Completed This Year
In an effort to ease traffic congestion in the city centre, enhance economic activities in the townships, increase job opportunities and diversify revenue collection, the Municipality entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the construction of a mixed-use commercial centre at Fairview township. The first phase of the project commenced during the current financial year and entails the construction of retail space. The project is currently at 40% completion and is projected to be at its final stages towards the end of the year. All things constant, the anchor retail outlets will have opened shop by Christmas time this year.
- New Multi-Cultural Cemetery To Be Operationalised This Year
As a Municipality that embraces and respects the diversity of cultures in the vibrant City of Manzini, in line with its value of inclusion, it acknowledges that citizens from different backgrounds may have unique burial customs, rituals and traditions. The Municipality has, therefore, developed a new multi-cultural burial facility just below the municipal pound. The cemetery will be run in a more professional and orderly manner than experienced in any of the existing cemeteries before. The new facility also brings with it some operational changes that will be announced to the public as soon as possible. Citizens are urged to embrace the changes. All things constant, the new facility should be operationalised shortly. Further announcements will be made soon.
- Smart and Efficient City Lighting
In alignment with the Sustainability Agenda 2030 on promoting the use of clean and affordable energy, the Municipality has planned the installation of solar lighting on selected streets, recreational parks and Council building infrastructure. During the year 2024, solar lighting will be installed in two streets in Coates Valley (Jacaranda and Acacia) and three streets in Trelawney Park (Sidvudvu, Sijabane and Ligusha). Three recreational parks (Pendray Park, Coates Valley Park and Civic Offices Park) will also be solar powered during the year 2024. The off-grid initiative is planned to be rolled out in phases throughout the city within the next few years.
