Baku – The National Housing Board has received a royal directive from His Majesty the King to ensure that all Swazis are housed, with the mandate covering everyone from those in need to middle-income earners and those who simply require a different kind of accommodation.
National Housing Board Managing Director Mduduzi Dlamini, who is attending the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, revealed the directive while speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations conference, which brings together the world’s leading minds on urbanisation, housing, and sustainable cities.
Dlamini said the King’s instruction was clear: no Swazi should be left without a roof over their head. 
He said the forum was giving the board a valuable opportunity to learn from other countries, including Morocco and Kenya, on how they are dealing with informal settlements, urbanisation, and environmental challenges around housing.
“We are taking these lessons and applying them back home,” he said.
Dlamini said the National Housing Board, as the government’s implementing agent, would be visible in developments across the country, working to ensure that Eswatini becomes a place of safe and sustainable cities where families can live well, feel secure, access employment opportunities, and live within their means as proud members of the Swazi nation.
He said discussions at the forum were centred on how the board could work more effectively with stakeholders, including utility agencies, water authorities, the Eswatini Electricity Company, regulators, municipalities, and other organisations with a stake in housing, to ensure that the final product delivered to Swazis met the needs of people across all income levels.
With heads of state set to officially open the forum, Dlamini said the technical teams would then get down to work, engaging with other nations on the finer details of housing delivery.
