Technical Services 2
Council's Technical Services Department
…Issues of road construction & maintenance, city lighting, traffic flow, public transport management, etc. fall under this department
The Technical Services Department is generally responsible for provision and maintenance of Council infrastructure, heavy plant, fleet and equipment and all other related facilities.
It is responsible for keeping Council tools and equipment in good working order as well as managing and implementing Council’s capital projects. Furthermore, the department is the implementing arm of Council responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of the city’s infrastructure including roads. This is done according to the policies, guidelines and priorities set by Council. It is also responsible for the scrutiny of building applications and carrying out of building inspections. The local Government Act 8/1969, the Building and Housing Act 1968 and several other legal instruments that empower Council in executing the local government’s mandate, primarily govern the department’s operations.
Service Offering
- Storm water drains maintenance through undoing blockages and cleaning up of all silt.
- Road reserve maintenance including grass cutting and shoulders re-gravelling
- Patching of potholes and cracks filling
- Installation and maintenance of street and high mast lights in the city
- Ensuring that no illegal buildings are erected in the city through random general township inspections
- Ensuring that all buildings under construction within the urban area are in conformity with the Building and Housing Act 1969 and other relevant legislation and municipal guidelines.
- Ensuring that the city has functional recreational facilities
- Controlling outdoor advertising in the city (from posters to billboards)
Objectives
- To plan, design, construct & maintain existing roads infrastructure that meet the needs of the people of Manzini.
- To design, construct & maintain parks, gardens, recreational facilities & cemeteries.
- To develop & implement a roads asset management & general equipment’s management system.
- To carryout periodic maintenance of Council’s fleet, buildings & associated facilities
- To carryout periodic management, monitoring & evaluation of the implementation of Council’s physical infrastructure and other related development projects.
- To implement & ensure compliance with the Building & Housing Act of 1969
Projects Undertaken Since 2014/15
Challenges
- Administration of public transportation
- Timely rehabilitation of surfaced roads
- Upgrading of gravel roads
- Capital project financing
- Shortage of burial/cemetery land
- Annual cash flow limitations
- Regulation of heavy trucks/property damage
