Minister of Natural Resources and Energy HRH Prince Lonkhokhela has officially commissioned the Bulekeni Water Supply Scheme under the Zombodze Inkhundla in the Shiselweni Region, bringing clean and safe drinking water to 289 homesteads.
The commissioning took place on Friday, 12 June 2026, and forms part of a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy and World Vision Eswatini to fund and implement potable water projects across 18 Tinkhundla between 2025 and 2029.
The hybrid solar-powered scheme, valued at E6 million, was completed in just six months, from August 2025 to January 2026, in line with His Majesty King Mswati III’s “Nkwe Strategy” of efficiency and urgency. 
The event also carried regional significance, with a high-level delegation from the Kingdom of Lesotho in attendance, led by the Honourable Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Mohlomi Moleko, alongside officials from the Lesotho Ministry of Natural Resources and World Vision Lesotho. Their presence reflected growing regional cooperation on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives.
The commissioning came during Children and Youth Month, a period that draws attention to children, youth, and women as among the most vulnerable groups affected by inadequate access to safe water and sanitation.
The Bulekeni scheme builds on the partnership first launched in July 2025 at the Tfutfukani Water Scheme under Mhlangatane Inkhundla, and contributes to the government’s target of increasing national water access to 90% within five years. It also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 and the African Union’s 2026 theme on sustainable water and sanitation.
HRH Prince Lonkhokhela called on international donor partners and the private sector to invest in the WASH sector as Eswatini advances implementation of its newly drafted National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan.
The Ministry expressed appreciation to the Bulekeni Chiefdom, Zombodze Inkhundla, World Vision Eswatini, and all stakeholders whose cooperation made the project possible.
