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MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF MBABANE - EUROPEAN UNION:

Towards zero waste through recycling, composting

How Mbabane City is moving towards a recycling, green economy | Page 2 | 1

Building an efficient, effective and sustainable City

Glow Girls turning ‘trash’ to ‘treasure’

| Page 7

The NationMARCH 2019

EUROPEAN UNION

MCM-EU WASTE MINIMISATION PROJECT2

How Mbabane City is moving towards a recycling, green economyThe Municipal Council of Mbabane-European Union Project on Waste Minimisation and Management Initiatives funded to the tune of E4 million over a three year period focuses on waste recycling and waste composition through improved storage, presentation and collection of waste. MUSA NDLANGAMANDLA speaks to EU Ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini H.E. Esmeralda Hernandez Aragones about what the initiative hopes to achieve.

The Nation: Please unpack the Mbabane Municipal Council - European Union Project on Waste Minimisation and

Management Initiatives and what the partnership hopes to achieve.

Ambassador: This project is funded under the European Union Local Authority (LA) budget line for an amount of Euro 250,000.00 equivalent to SZL 4.1 Million and will be implemented in partnership with the Municipal Council of Mbabane for a period of three years. The overall objective of the project is to establish waste minimisation initiatives focusing on waste recycling and waste composition through improved storage, presentation and collection of waste by Authorised Waste

Collectors.The Nation: What segment of the

population is targeted by the waste management initiatives?

Ambassador: The project targets four pilot communities which are Mbangweni, Woodlands, Pine Valley and Msunduza. A contingent of 21,000 residents within the four communities with approximately 2,625 households and 109 commercial food business stand to benefit. The anticipated results include business start-up and increased job opportunities for the benefitting communities using waste for income generation project and sustained livelihoods.

The Nation: How big is the challenge of food waste, and general

waste in the Kingdom of Eswatini?Ambassador: Poor waste

management causes various challenges such as air contamination, water pollution and drastic climate changes. Waste is now not only a danger to our environment, but it is increasingly a threat to human health and our way of life. Legal landfill sites are becoming increasingly full. Heavy metals and toxins are leaking into the surrounding groundwater and soil. Explosive and toxic gases are being generated. Even more worrying is the unknown and very high number of illegal landfills whose risks cannot be quantified. The storage, collection, transportation and final treatment or disposal of wastes has become a major problem

MCM-EU WASTE MINIMISATION PROJECT 3

in urban centres globally and this applies to municipalities Eswatini. Municipalities Eswatini struggle to manage the waste generated in their area of jurisdiction due to a number of reasons such as an inability to enforce a comprehensive set of laws pertaining to the sector, lack of technical capacity and financial limitations imposed by budgetary constraints.

The Nation: Why do you think Municipalities and Local Authorities are best placed to influence positive change?

Ambassador: Local Authorities and Municipalities play a critical role in the governance, development and general service delivery processes in most countries and societies of the world. Being closer to citizens than other public institutions, they hold the responsibility of mobilising local societies’ opinion and resources while acting as catalysts for change. Adhering to the principle of subsidiary, Local Authorities can act as decision makers in favour of transparent, efficient and inclusive local public affairs and they have a key role to play to ensure people living in the constituencies receive adequate fundamental services. Despite the increasing recognition of LAs as partners in development, they however face a number of challenges and constraints which hamper their capacity to effectively contribute to governance, development and ultimately poverty reduction. They are often unable to significantly influence policies and budgets as well

as to define their own development policies and plans in a way to respond to local communities’ demands for service delivery and for involvement in public affairs. Moreover, they also face problems of social exclusion, migration, food security, limited infrastructure, rapid urbanisation, depletion of resources, public safety and violence, environmental and climate adaptation issues.

The Nation: Why is it important for the Municipal Council of Mbabane to take the strategic route of waste recycling and food waste composting?

Ambassador: The Municipality of Mbabane needs to adopt innovative and integrated approaches to waste management utilising the latest technology and skills to turn the waste into productive inputs for business opportunities and income generation for our communities. Waste management is one of the most visible urban services whose effectiveness and sustainability serves as an indicator of good local governance, sound municipal management and successful urban reform. It is therefore a very good indicator of performance of a municipality.

The Nation: What lessons can the Kingdom of Eswatini learn from its counterparts in Europe about the importance of waste management?

Ambassador: Globally, countries and municipalities are obliged to reduce the amount of municipal solid waste that end up in landfills and developed cities recover over

80 % of municipal solid waste, generating millions of tonnes of secondary materials principally metals and paper. Many cities in Europe have adopted innovative and technologically advanced strategies for managing their waste. Key strategies include the following:• Good waste management begins

with preventing waste being generated in the first place — after all, what is not produced does not have to be disposed of. Hence, waste prevention and minimisation should be top priority in any waste management plan.

• Where waste material is produced, planners and managers must always choose the optimal treatment option with the lowest possible risks to human health and the environment.

• When waste must finally be disposed the choice falls between landfill and recycling and re-use.

The Nation: What role should Mbabane City play in terms of influencing positive change in the area of waste management in the country, and the southern African region?

Ambassador: Mbabane is the leading municipality in the country housing the capital city. Strategies adopted by the municipality in dealing with its wastes are likely to be emulated and replicated by the other municipalities in the country and the region thus having a multiplier effect in the country and region.


Municipal Council of Mbabane and European Union: Accelerating a green, recycling economy

From the CEO Gideon Mhlongo’s desk

Mbabane, the economic hub of Eswatini, has an esti-mated population of 95, 000, making it the largest

city in the Kingdom. Major international companies use Mbabane as a gateway to the country, the region and the rest of the African continent. The City derives its name from chief, Mbabane Kunene, who lived in the area when British settlers arrived. It traces its foundation to 1902. The City is alive with vast economic opportuni-ties, leading thousands of people from surrounding communities and the hinterlands of Eswatini and beyond, to flock to the area to tap into such. Our City hosts every form of commercial activity from financial services to light industry. All these economic and social growth attributes impact heavily on resources targeted for service delivery and pose challenges to the City. These result in a fast population growth in Mbabane City which also impacts the environmental resources, bringing with it waste management problems.Mbabane City is fast running out of landfill airspace, making responsible waste management not a choice but an imperative which will ensure a sus-tainable health environment. As the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), we are continuously encourag-ing communities to move away from the irresponsible generation of waste and its disposal, to a model that ac-

knowledges that waste management is an acute concern for each one of us. The City currently generates over 12, 000 tonnes of waste annually and all the waste generated goes to the only landfill site at Mpolonjeni. The land-fill site is almost reaching its capacity and is left with only two years in its life cycle. If we encourage people to recy-cle the waste they generate, we could extend the lifespan of this important and costly resource. Our proposed Waste Bylaw aims at progressively encouraging zero-waste/avoidance, reduction, reusing and recycling as a practice to minimise waste destined to the landfill.To support these initiatives MCM has developed the Integrated Development Plan (2014/19), a roadmap for imple-menting sound strategies for City de-velopment. Embedded in the Plan are the enabling Sustainable Development Goals to guide City development. Sus-tainable environmental management is one of the key thrusts of the IDP.To respond to the waste challenges as well as comply with the country’s legis-lative requirements, the City has devel-oped an Integrated Waste Management Strategy guide the effective implemen-tation of the sustainable waste man-agement practices. Priority is given to sustainable waste minimisation, reuse, recycling and recovery programmes. On behalf of His Lordship the May-or, Councillors, the Executive Team and the entire Council family, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the European Union delegation Es-watini for the support given on the

ground-breaking Waste Minimisation Project focusing on Recycling and Composting. The priority focus is that of upscaling the City’s green practices from informal to formal communities and commercial business and herald technology-supported, sustainable best practice in waste management. The main target groups include un-employed women, the elderly, out of school youth, the indigent and all other marginalised and vulnerable groups.In partnership with the EU and other key stakeholders, we are changing attitudes and leading the way in the waste management ecosystem and in the manner people relate to waste. With that being said, we appeal to communities and residents of the City and beyond to recognise that there is only one Kingdom of Eswatini which we as citizens must all take care of. We should start by not littering. Those do-ing business in our cities should also strive to keep their premises, includ-ing the sidewalk, clean. The Municipal Council of Mbabane is also working diligently to do its part in ensuring that refuse that is bagged and placed in refuse bins and skips is timeously collected.The City is committed towards main-taining a clean environment, intro-ducing more waste minimisation initiatives and lobbying for recycling markets to establish fully in Mbabane. Working together with our communi-ties we will achieve the goal of turning Mbabane into a recycling society and keeping our City clean.

...the City has developed an Integrated Waste Management Strategy to guide the effective imple-mentation of the sustain-able waste management practices. Priority is giv-en to sustainable waste minimisation, reuse, recycling and recovery programmes...


Building an efficient, effective and sustainable CityAn insight from Project Coordinator Benedict Gamedze, Strategic Planning and Budgeting Manager at MCM

The Municipal Council of Mba-bane (MCM) with valuable support from the Delegation of the European Union to Es-

watini has embarked on a journey to foster a paradigm shift in the man-ner communities relate to waste.

Waste management plays a crucial role in creating a sustainable society for the present and future generations. Therefore, the establishment of a recycling economy in the Kingdom of Eswatini is of the utmost importance, not only as a means to fulfill the National Vision 2022, but also to protect and preserve the environment.

Our heartfelt appreciation goes to the EU for the E4,1 million grant conferred upon the City for the Waste Minimisation Project focusing on recycling and composting.

The partnership between the EU and the Municipality is slated for a three-year duration from 2018 to 2021. The key components include:• Upscaling the Municipal Council

of Mbabane’s green practices to include formal communities and commercial business;

• Sustainable Best Practicable Approaches of waste management supported by modern technologies and regulatory frameworks;

• A strong partnership focusing on value-add and sustainability; and

• Uplifting the lives of the people. The main target groups include unemployed women, the elderly and infirm, out of school youth, the indigent and all other marginalised and vulnerable groups.

As the MCM we are pleased that the project responds positively to our strategic directives and catapults the Integrated Development Plan interventions for the sustainable City growth in the socio-economic and environmental dimension.

The support from international parties such as the EU is a global position meant to foster partnerships between the developed world and emerging economies through sustainable practices for urban environments.

We are encouraged by the uptake and interest shown by young people in the quest for environmental stewardship. A case in point is a group of 30 young girls from Nkwalini Zone 3 who have found an opportunity to influence global change at early stages of life, thereby acting as a shock absorber for the practices as they are introduced to the City. Known as the ‘Glow Girls’ this group of teenagers aged between

9 to 19 years, is influencing positive change in the townships around the City and is providing opportunities for income generation to peers whilst addressing social inclusiveness in urban communities.

With the valuable support of the Delegation of the European Union to Eswatini, the Municipal Council of Mbabane is well on the way to become the standard bearer in the country, and region for stewardship of the environment through source reduction, recycling and composting. Being the Capital City, there is no gainsaying that Mbabane should champion the implementation of international best practices in the area of waste management.

The EU partnership is already making major inroads towards the overall objective of strengthening the MCM role in building an efficient, effective and viable waste management entity. The end game is the mobilisation of residents, and the public at large, to change behaviour and engage in recycling activities.

Through support from the EU, the MCM continues to achieve great strides in contributing to the national efforts towards the alleviation of poverty and job creation.

EUROPEAN UNION


Mbabane rallies households, industries for zero waste through recycling, compostingThe Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), with support from the European Union, continues to make major strides in efforts to recycle and compost the bulk of waste generated within urban communities, households and busi-nesses, thus drastically reducing waste loads destined to the City’s only san-itary landfill. MUSA NDLANGAMANDLA goes to ground and finds that the initiative is a huge success.

The greatest paradox of our time is that about one third of the millions of tonnes of food generated across the

country annually goes to waste. And this is a problem not confined to the Kingdom of Eswatini, but it is a glob-al phenomenon. In South Africa, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports, about 31 million tonnes of food is created every year. About 10 million tonnes of it goes to waste. The problem has deeper ramifications for society because wasting food means wasting energy, water and

packaging. This is harmful to the environment as the waste ends up in the landfill, where it biodegrades and releases greenhouse gases, particularly methane. The worst thing is that the landfill space is fast diminishing.As for human suffering? Eswatini’s Central Statistics Office (CSO 2010) estimates that about 30% of households are going hungry. The latest reports indicate that, nearly three in 10 people in the Kingdom of Eswatini fall short of meeting their daily nutritional needs and that the

situation remains the same as the beginning of the decade. The WWF estimates that approximately 26% of South African households are going hungry, as well as a total of 800 million people worldwide.Now for the good news. The MCM, with support from the European Union, is mobilising households in all urban communities and some food retail businesses to participate in an innovative initiative and lasting solutions to the challenge of food waste. Currently, with the Mbabane- EU funded project, the focus is on

“The Council under-stands that for the project to succeed in meeting its objec-tives of preserving the environment and fighting poverty, they have to involve the people on the ground.”


four pilot communities, namely Mbangweni, Woodlands, Pinevalley and Msunduza. Included in these are 109 food premises mainly within the CBD, and a peer group of teenage girls known as Glow Girls.One of the key objectives of the initiative is to recycle and compost 50% of waste generated within the pilot communities and commercial businesses for sustainable livelihoods by 2020. The initiative, spanning three years from 2018-2021, is aimed at introducing waste segregation from sources of generation. This will be achieved through separating the waste into two main streams viz wet and dry. The remaining non-recyclables will be disposed of in a sustainable manner at the Municipal Landfill. Hazardous waste will be handled according to specified requirements as contained in the Waste Regulations, 2000.The conceptual framework for reducing the loads destined to the landfill will follow the Waste Hierarchy focusing on waste mininisation through the 3Rs namely Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Composting. Council is optimistic that the project will make a substantial contribution towards the ideal of the reduction of carbon footprint in the City.“This project is presenting a new systematic approach to the management of waste in Mbabane through handling, storage, presentation, collection and transportation of waste from generation to waste processing facilities and/or final disposal. The latter being the least preferred option under the system,” says Project Manager Ellen Matsenjwa, in an interview.Consequently, Mbabane City is influencing a paradigm shift through behavoural change in the manner people relate to waste. Central to this is diverting recyclable waste, both food and dry waste, away from landfills thereby encouraging households and residents of the City to see waste as a resource through the Council Segregation at Source programme. “We want the community to understand that waste is not ‘rubbish’ nor is it ‘trash’. We should all view it as a sustainable resource or raw material. This sector has unlimited growth potential as it can give rise to new industries and factories that turn waste into valuable material such as furniture, clothes and even toys. Globally, recycling is on the increase. This practice places value on many items previously classified as waste products, leading to growth in the recycling market and profit for both small- and large-scale businesses,” says Matsenjwa.“We are promoting an all-inclusive approach in the management of waste by letting the people participate in the waste value chain.”

As part of the MCM-EU project, emphasis is made on communication and interactive participation of the communities. That is why Council has since inception embarked on various stakeholder engagement activities and community awareness campaigns. Through the use of radio, television, newspapers, social media platforms and face to face engagements, Council has ensured that information about the project is easily accessible. During the launch of the project, in November 2018, key stakeholders were able to interact with officials from the EU, Council officials and beneficiaries.To ascertain sustainability, the project will be monitored and evaluated periodically through a set of matrix tools to measure deliverables. That includes the targets, key objectives, outcomes and sustainability umbrella of the project.

Segregation at sourceSegregation at source will take the format of additional reusable bins to the conventional black bin, for handling and storage of the separated waste This means that this system will open up opportunities for SMMEs and entrepreneurs through door-to-door handling and collection. Under the Mbabane-EU funded project the target is to cover 21 000 residents in the participating communities and 2625 households, and ten SMMEs with at least 200 members. This includes the 109 food premises.“A major component of the MCM-EU funded project is the promotion of food waste recycling for composting purposes. We have identified and progressively train target groups within participating communities. The primary objective is to promote SMMEs and entrepreneurship through

recycling and composting, particularly among unemployed women, out of school youth, the indigent, unemployed adults and other marginalised groups,” says Matsenjwa.“In order to achieve the goals, we have set for ourselves we realised the need for partnerships with key stakeholders with the relevant technologies for skills and expertise impartation. Some of the partners include Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC) for scientific research and overall documentation and publication of the project; Centre of Science and the Environment of India for assistance in developing the Waste Bylaw; and Braithwaite Investments for the compost technology.”Among the technologies adopted for the food waste composting is the use of Bokashi. Bokashi is a Japanese composting technology utilising bran with live microbes to turn food waste into organic compost. Under the project the food waste will be composted at household level to promote the establishment of climate smart gardens. Currently, Mbabane is considered not ideal for gardening due to confined areas, some of which are located in poor terrain. The project’s end game is to promote nutrition and sustainable agriculture. Without the intervention of the MCM-EU project, the food waste collected from households and businesses for composting would otherwise have been sent to the landfill in Mpolonjeni. By working together with our communities, we effectively turn trash into treasure and help the participating groups generate an income for themselves.“Further this project seeks to address Mbabane City’s response to the UN led Sustainable Development Goals

Nonhlonipho Motsa an employee of OK Foods separating food waste in readiness for Bokashi technology composting.


(SDGs). This is with particular regard to SDGs 1, 2, 11 and 13. These SDGs refer to the global action against poverty, hunger, sustainable cities and communities and dealing with the impact of climate change.”Through recycling and composting, and the proliferation of gardens Mbabane City has a huge impact in addressing the SDGs.“A major milestone of the project is its success in the first year of implementation. Whilst the major thrust was awareness creation and capacity building, the reality is that the efforts have gone beyond the target to immediately establish SMMEs and Cooperatives. Worth noting is that the latter was specifically earmarked for the second year of the project. Whilst the focus was initially on the four pilot communities, the reality on the ground is that there was a massive replication

to neighbourhood communities in proximity of the four. This, after the neighbouring communities saw the success and impact of the initiative in terms of creating sustainable livelihoods, clean environments and income generation,” Matsenjwa says.Meanwhile, Maggie Dlamini, a community educator and overseer of Sinotsangemvelo Cooperative in Msunduza, explains that there is a strong uptake from residents and businesses for the composting of food waste, and segregation at source. She says there is an air of excitement in the communities as people have embraced this project as a tool to tackle the effects of poverty, address their nutritional requirements, create jobs, whilst contributing to improved livelihoods.Sinotsangemvelo Cooperative has 30 members, with 26 being females.

This accounts for over 90% female participation, actively involved in producing organic compost for economic gains as well as supporting household, daily needs.Members of Sinotsangemvelo have also exceeded expectations in the Reuse sphere as they have produced over 500 different eco-friendly products from used waste materials. They are champions in this field and are a worthy benchmark for other communities.To date, over 30 people have been trained and are directly benefiting from the various public awareness campaigns. Overall 350 people have been empowered from the participating communities. In terms of sales of compost 3 tonnes have been produced and sold to local households for horticulture.Over the years Council has been actively encouraging citizens to recycle

Step by Step Guide to Bokashi CompostingDeveloped in Japan, Bokashi can be translated as ‘fermented organic matter’. • Food waste is added to an air tight

bucket and sprinkled with bran, inoculant containing beneficial micro-organisms. This preserves the food waste like a pickle, and prevents odours; it also helps it to break down quickly once added to compost or soil.

• Porridge, meat, vegetable and fruit scraps, cooked foods, bread, pasta and rice, and eggs can all go in a Bokashi.

• The Bokashi system is made up of two buckets which fit tightly inside each other.

• The top bucket has holes in the bottom of it to drain the excess liquids from the decaying foodstuff

• Put the food into this bucket in layers of approximately 5centimetres and sprinkle with

a handful Bokashi. Press the contents down and ensure the bucket is airtight at all times (anaerobic process – zero oxygen atmosphere).

• A small amount of liquid will drain into the bottom bucket and this is an excellent nutrient material for your indoor plants and leafy vegetables. This is provided the correct mixing proportions are adhered to.

Top tip: The system works better when the neighbours and people in the community work as a team. This results in a green neighbourhood communities. Such small actions result in a paradigm shift on people’s mindset towards waste and leads to the proliferation of green practices within urban communities.Six benefits of Bokashi• Once dug into the soil or added to

your compost it helps your food waste break down rapidly releasing the nutrients within 4- 6weeks.

• Little space needed as fermentation takes place in the bucket, so ideal for offices, apartments and schools.

• Buckets can be kept indoors as the smell is inoffensive and the buckets are air-tight.

• It keeps food waste out of the landfill and it improves helpful microbial activity in the soil.

• If buried deeply enough, rats or dogs will not be attracted to the Bokashi when it’s added to your garden.

• Meat, fish and odorous food waste (not recommended in other composting systems) can be processed with Bokashi.

Source: makethemostofwaste.co.nz/news/six-benefits-of-bokashi/

The Main Composting Site at MCM landfill site at Mpolonjeni.


waste. But this was done on an adhoc basis. Under the MCM-EU project recycling is an integral component and the participating communities are segregating waste at source, in return for incentives at the Buy-Back-Centres.At present the Authorised Waste Collector actively involved in recycling in Mbabane is Bheki Sihlongonyane, owner of AMZ Recycling.“The initiative is a game-changer in the City’s efforts to promote recycling and be good stewards of the environment. Recycling has been a cornerstone of the company and we see an opportunity to spread it to all sectors of the community. We see an opportunity for more companies linked to the recycling opportunities in urban communities to be established,” Sihlongonyane says.In another matter, Dlamini [Maggie] echoes Sihlongonyane, saying the Bokashi technology is very popular within the cooperatives and SMMEs that are involved in the project because it minimises bad odours and is easy to implement. The system is user-friendly as it does not require vast tracks of land, but can be implemented in the backyard of a home, regardless of the confined spaces. Bokashi has several benefits for directly empowering the

community and it keeps food waste out of the landfill. It also helps repair and improve the quality of the soil, and the quality of the produce as it uses organic approach to food production. No harmful chemicals or fertilisers are used,” says Dlamini.Dlamini has benefitted from training and is now a certified trainer of trainers. Her work as a community resource person in Msunduza also makes her the go-to person for the project initiatives.“We are grateful to the MCM for putting people first. The Council understands that for the project to succeed in meeting its objectives of preserving the environment and fighting poverty, they have to involve the people on the ground. Conditions have been created for us, as the beneficiaries and participants to thrive. We are actively involved as waste collectors, cooperative schemes, entrepreneurs and SMMEs. Community involvement is a key success factor in this project” Dlamini says.“This makes our work as community coordinators and educators very easy because the Council understands that recycling without active involvement and participation of the community would not succeed. As a result, there is no difficulty for us to encourage

people to segregate the waste from source. We see a positive change in the manner people relate to waste, “Hence the establishment of Msunduza Recycling Centre to provide a market for the waste recyclers within the community,” Dlamini says.She is echoed by Charles Mlambo who lauds the MCM for creating a market for the waste collectors. Mlambo is the main recycler in Msunduza Recycling Centre.“Mr Gideon Mhlongo [MCM CEO] and his team have created avenues for us not to struggle to sell the items we collect as waste. One of the thriving Council Buy Back Centres is on Sheffield Road. Mhlongo understands that a viable market is crucial to motivate us and to see to the success of the project,” Mlambo says.“We are highly motivated and we thank the MCM and the EU for creating this platform for us to make a living by turning trash to treasure. This puts currency to His Majesty King Mswati III’s vision 2022 for a prosperous nation where people are given the opportunity to improve their economic prospects, achieve sustainable livelihoods and contribute to environmental sustainability.”Driving around the CDB, even on the weekend, the results of the forward-looking waste management initiatives are there for all to see as the streets are squeaky clean. Current world Best Practice standards dictate that less than 10% of the waste stream should end up in landfills. The broad goal of the Municipal Council of Mbabane’s strategy is to support the national vision 2022 of drastically reducing the waste that ends up in landfills by 90%. “Whilst we understand that ‘zero waste to landfills’ is an ideal that we would like to see coming to fruition in our lifetime, as some waste will inevitably and realistically have to be disposed of in the landfill, this is an ideal for which we will continue to strive on a daily basis,” Matsenjwa says.“To emphasise what our CEO always says community partnerships and stakeholder engagement is a crucial success factor. A recycling economy in our City and the country as a whole can only be realised through maximum community involvement. As a result, communities, community enterprises, cooperatives and SMMEs, and entrepreneurs have a crucial role to play as they benefit by either being directly involved in the Municipality’s recycling activities or by using waste as a resource to produce various products.”“This is also valuable as residents, ratepayers, businesses and citizens of Eswatini become part and parcel of the service delivery process of the local government entities and are therefore not just passive recipients of state planning and resource allocation.”

Some of the main outcomes include the following:

• Improved efficiencies in the delivery of waste management services at local level;

• Capacities and Capabilities of skilled Authorised Waste Collectors, SMMEs, and Council employees in waste management system in Mbabane enhanced;

• City status in providing innovations on the management of waste improved. The Municipal Council of Mbabane will be the first to regulate and actively

pilot the segregation of waste at sources of generation;

• The City has laid the foundation for the economic and logistical viability of the recycling and composting programme and this will be the launchpad for other municipalities and communities nationwide; and

• Mbabane’s goal of becoming the first recycling society in Eswatini is progressively being achieved.

Mshini Dlamini and a colleague offloading waste to be used for composting. This is at the Main Composting Site at the landfill.


Focus on Gender Equality, Climate Change Impacts through empowering women, the girl child

The EU supported minimisa-tion initiatives focusing on waste recycling and food waste composting practices

in Mbabane are making a sterling contribution to social equity by cre-ating income generating opportuni-ties for women and the girl child.Implemented by the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), the project alleviates poverty in lower-income areas, through empowering of underprivileged women, the girl child, youths and the marginalised in society. This is over and above the fact that recycling and composting projects in targeted communities across the City are stimulating new markets in the waste management ecosystem that create further jobs. “Women and girls’ economic participation and empowerment are central features of the project. The majority of participants in the composting pilot projects in the communities are women. Statistics show that to date over 90% of participants are women. The bulk of the project initiatives are driven by women, imparting the skills gained from the training sessions organised by the MCM to other residents. There is a spill over of job opportunities for women and girls in packaging and marketing compost products to households and local businesses,” says Sabelo Magagula, a Councillor who is actively involved in the project and a resident of Pinevalley, representing the former and Hlanganani communitiesThe gender aspect of the project provides a platform for an all-inclusive women participation to share experiences and ideas on various aspects of their lives without intimidation from other sectors of society. They are able to speak freely

and are given a voice regarding social and economic matters that impact on their daily lives. These include matters of gender-based violence, human rights and social stigma and reproductive health issues.It is on record that participants, mainly women, producing the Bokashi compost have made sales of up to E2, 000 a month.The MCM-EU funded project is a timely intervention, not just for Mbabane, but the entire country as the initiative can, and should, be replicated throughout the Kingdom of Eswatini to keep up with the national goal of keeping the country clean.To that end, reports from the Central Statistics Office (CSO 2010) indicate that women and girls suffer more poverty. Women Eswatini account for the majority among the unemployed. The unemployment rate relaxed definition stands at 41.7% whilst the strict definition stands at 28.1% (Labor Force Survey 2013-14). The country’s Population is 1 132 657 according to the 2016 Swaziland Population Projections 2007-2030. “For the women in the townships, many of whom are widows, finding work to support themselves and their grandchildren is tough. The opportunities

provided by the MCM and EU are a life changer. Recycling and composting offer a valuable lifeline as they sell the material to make a livelihood.”In line with the UN sponsored SDGs, the MCM and EU funded waste minimisation project seeks to promote positive stewardship for the environment as a response to the devastating impact of climate change owing to poorly managed waste.SDG 13 specifically enjoins communities to take steps to minimise the effects of climate change. “As the climatic weather parttens change dramatically resulting in extreme situations, such as flash floods result in surface run off, leading to waste being deposited into watercourses. The interventions to clean up the watercourses in order to purify this precious resource depletes the energy supplies. It leads to diseases and the degradation of the environment further exacerbates the situation. This has a direct impact on the livelihoods of communities, particularly women and children,” says Matsenjwa.According to SDG 13 on average, the annual losses just from earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones and flooding count in the hundreds of billions of dollars.


Giant Leap as Mbabane Waste Bylaws are being developed

Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), with the support of the EU, has embarked on a for-

ward-looking process to develop the Waste Bylaws to regulate the way waste is handled, stored and presented for collection.This is in an effort to strengthen the recycling and composting initiatives meant to encourage full participation of the residents of Mbabane in sustainable waste management practices.The process is aimed at aligning the waste management framework with international best practice. It is meant to promote a sense of accountability across all spheres of society in terms of waste and waste disposal. When people realise that there are consequences for the waste they generate and how they dispose of it, they will find ways to reduce the amount of waste.A by-law exists to ensure that certain kinds of behaviour or/and acts are prohibited and punished if the prohibitions are not observed. The Waste Bylaws that the Council is developing will set out the regulations for the City’s waste

management system, including setting the platform for permitting and regulating the operations of the Authorised Waste Collectors, SMMEs, entrepreneurs and cooperative schemes. The bylaw will also act as an instrument compelling all people of Mbabane to segregate and recycle waste as a practice that is sanctioned by the City’s regulations.It defines disposal requirements for specific types of waste and materials that are prohibited at the landfill. The bylaw will eventually set out the applicable levies for services provided. “There are ongoing consultative processes aimed at strengthening existing local and national instruments to regulate the management (handling), storage and presentation of waste to authorised Waste Collectors within Mbabane. The processes of making the bylaws provide that residents and businesses should be fully involved in the formulation and implementation stages. This will be achieved through stakeholder

consultative processes and ensure positive and complete buy in of the people. Such stakeholder engagement will ensure this in not a top-bottom approach by Council, a fully inclusive process,” says Project Manager Ellen Matsenjwa.“We are developing the Waste Bylaws of the City and ways to improve the waste value chain. We are working in close cooperation and the full involvement of residents and businesses within our City on the new waste management initiatives focusing on recycling and composting,” says Matsenjwa.Taking a cue from cities such as Kigali in Rwanda, the MCM’s goal is to encourage self-motivation and initiative among residents to engage in recycling and clean up campaigns in their respective communities. With positive political will, the City of Rwanda is touted as the cleanest City in Africa, and among the best in the world. This was not achieved over night, but it took a collective effort, supported by the State and effective legislation to keep the environment clean.

EUROPEAN UNION


We’re pushing to go commercial, say co-ops membersA growing number of Mba-

bane residents have caught the recycling and compost-ing bug and are determined

to graduate from the domestic arena into industrial-scale and create hun-dreds of sustainable jobs. There is a progressive culture of treating waste not as ‘rubbish’, but as a valuable resource. The change in outlook confirms the potential of the waste sector to contribute to SMME development, job creation, support the manufacturing sector and the growth of the secondary materials economy in Mbabane City. This is as a result of growing efforts by the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM) to promote sustainable urban livelihoods and how these can be achieved through food waste recycling

for composting carried out within the townships.“We may be in the initial stages of composting practices as taught to us by the MCM with support of the EU, however we have cast our sights on becoming giants in the field and operating on industrial scale of waste management,” says Mshini Dlamini, a member of Makholokholo Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society.“In five years’, time we want to be a fully-fledged waste processing entity which employs at least 500 people on a permanent basis, whilst giving opportunities to thousands more.”“By applying the knowledge on composting best practices as imparted on us by the MCM we will go into bigger scale opportunities. We are on course to catapult the country’s

position in the waste management ecosystem and the future of Eswatini’s environmental success.” Dlamini says Eswatini is on the correct path towards creating a viable recycling industry, adding that as Makholokholo Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society they encourage the Council’s efforts to push for review of existing legislation. Such a review process seeks to compel and drive the residents of Mbabane into a recycling society. This is to ensure that they realise their dream to graduate to industrial-scale operations and creating jobs.Meanwhile, Msunduza Recycling Cooperative has also developed big dreams for its operations with the view to become an end-user product manufacturer from waste.

By applying the knowledge on composting best practices as imparted on us by the MCM we will go into bigger scale opportunities. We are on course to catapult the country’s position in the waste management ecosystem and the future of Eswatini’s environmental success.

Mshini Dlamini and Sikhumbuzo Matsebula of Makholokholo Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society with fully loaded food waste buckets for Bokashi composting.


Glow Girls turning ‘trash’ to ‘treasure’A group of teenage girls from Nkwalini Zone 3 has found an opportunity to turn trash to treasure. MUSA NDLANGAMANDLA spoke to them.

Let me introduce you to Temtsimba Dlamini (16) from Nkwalini. Like all teenagers her age, Temtsimba is full of

life and has big dreams for the future. She wants to pursue a career as an Environmental Lawyer in which she would represent clients in legal issues such as in clean technology, water law, climate change law.It is no coincidence that as part of her extra-curricular activities, she is a member of the ‘Glow Girls’.This group of 30 teenagers aged between nine to 19 years, is influencing positive change in the townships around Mbabane. The group, which engages in community work, cultural activities, and encourages youths to lead a healthy, active and productive lifestyle, also engages young people in income generating programmes.The Glow Girls also lead the way in addressing issues of poverty and crime.“Through the Municipal Council of Mbabane and the EU’s initiative, young

people are given the opportunity to make a difference in society and to make some money whilst they are at it,” Temtsimba says.Celiwe Maziya, Glow Girls coordinator, says the group was brought into the Municipal Council of Mbabane and the European Union initiative by Project Manager Ellen Matsenjwa.“We jumped at the opportunity to make a difference to our community. Our surroundings were filthy and as young people we felt we could not wait upon the authorities to do something about it. The filth exposed our families to vermin, germs and a whole host of diseases. Ms. Matsenjwa showed us that we had a real opportunity to make a difference by changing the mindset of young people to deal effectively with waste. We had the chance to influence change among young people,” Maziya says.“The Municipal Council Mbabane took us through some valuable training in waste management. We now have skills and are certified environmental

stewards. The parents of the members of Glow Girls are supportive and they are happy with the fact that their children are well taken care of and empowered with valuable skills. The children are taught good manners, positive values and assertiveness.”When the youths in the township see our girls being proactive in waste management initiatives they are positively influenced and want to join us. They are influenced not to create unnecessary waste,” Maziya says.

“Mbabane City is well on course to be a reference point in

the Southern African region on waste

management.”

Project Manager Ellen Matsenjwa


Eswatini Electricity Company’s role on waste issues, recycling praised by CityThe Municipal Council of Mbabane CEO Gideon Mhlongo commends Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) for heeding the call for businesses to play a prominent role in environ-mental stewardship through partnerships. He says EEC is one of the shining examples of efficient waste management and recycling activities, adding that all other companies should follow the lead. MUSA NDLANGAMANDLA reports.

The battle for survival and to meet annual targets in these very unsettled economic times, is a daunting task

for all companies in the country. The Kingdom of Eswatini, like many other countries, is facing severe eco-nomic headwinds characterised by a volatile and uncertain operating en-vironment.Dealing with waste has therefore tended to be relegated to the bot-tom on the priority list of business-es across all sectors of the economy. This in the backdrop that most, if not all, companies are intense users of resources; and therefore major gener-ators of waste. As a result of the slug-gish efforts at waste management and recycling just about everything

ends up in the landfill.The reality is that the Kingdom of Es-watini is fast running out of landfill airspace, making responsible waste management not a choice but an imperative which will ensure a sus-tainable healthy environment, pover-ty alleviation, and job creation while extracting maximum value from the waste stream at all stages of collec-tion and disposal.The storage, collection, transporta-tion and final treatment or disposal of wastes has become a major chal-lenge, particularly in urban areas, and this calls for the adoption of in-novative and integrated approaches to waste management utilising the latest technology and skills to turn

the waste into productive inputs for business opportunities and income generation for inclusive communities.Despite the economic turbulence gripping the region and diverting fo-cus from proper waste management as businesses engage the survival gear, one company has not been de-terred in the quest to be stewards of the environment.Mbabane CEO Gideon Mhlongo say: “We have been encouraging partner-ships in the waste management space and EEC is one of the companies that have risen to the challenge. The pow-er utility is recognised for internation-al best practice for implementing an innovative waste management and recycling system. We urge others to

“On top of creating an environmentally friendly workplace, implementing correct waste management procedures has provided staff with a greater awareness of waste issues.”


follow EEC’s lead as we realise our goal to achieve a green economy.” Eswatini Electricity Companysees environmental stewardship as an es-sential objective across the business. EEC’s Waste Strategy sets out clear ob-jectives for a resource efficient econo-my where the best value is secured from materials produced, consumed and recovered across the Kingdom of Eswatini. EEC promotes the circular economy, resource efficiency and the conservation and recovery of scarce resources, throughout its operations.EEC is engaged in the business of gen-eration, transmission and distribution of electricity in the Kingdom of eSwa-tini. And the company’s technical ex-pertise in the power industry is well recognised throughout the SADC re-gion. EEC owns and operates four hy-dro-power stations. Three of these hy-dro-power stations, namely Ezulwini, Edwaleni and Maguduza are operated on the Usuthu River Basin catchment area and the fourth one is under the Komati Basin Water Authority; Magu-

ga Dam.The company produces various types of waste in its operations and always ensures that waste is managed in a manner that is protective to both the environment and human health through a number of initiatives. These are classified into two catego-ries namely; general/ non-hazardous recyclable waste, and hazardous/tox-ic waste. The former is described as being potentially harmful to people and the environment, whilst the latter poses immediate danger to people and the environment. The emphasis is on sorting, collecting, transporting, recy-cling, treating and disposing of waste in a responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.EEC has won several international and national awards as a standard bearer of environmental stewardship. These include the prestigious Temvelo Awards 2018 run by Eswatini Environ-mental Authority.“Environmental stewardship is an es-sential objective of EEC. All EEC em-

ployees, suppliers and business asso-ciates have a responsibility to conform to a culture of integrated waste man-agement and waste minimisation. We have dedicated ourselves to the global environment protection cause. We ad-here to the principles of sustainability in our day to day activities,” says EEC Managing Director Meshack Kunene.“Not only do we ensure effective oper-ational controls for our activities, but we go over and beyond to collaborate

“General waste – waste produced within local municipality domain

and consists of garden, domestic, commercial

and non-hazardous industrial waste.”

“Toxic waste is one which may damage

your health by interfering with your

body chemistry, even at very low concentrations.”


with key stakeholders in taking care of the environment. We recognise that we cannot meet our objectives in iso-lation. The environment belongs to all of us.”EEC works within the framework of the Waste Regulations 2000, Waste Disposal Policies and the ISO 14 001 Standards, an internationally encour-aged and recognised best practice instrument. We all have the responsi-bility to grow the contribution of the waste sector in the green economy.Constance van Zuydam , EEC Envi-ronment Officer, has been spearhead-ing this important initiative. She says waste is sorted in colour coded recep-tacles then collected by respective waste management service providers at regular intervals to be recycled. The same procedure is followed for haz-

ardous waste such as printer catridg-es, e-waste, and oil from transformers, contaminated oil rags, compact fluo-rescent light bulbs and scrap waste from line infrastructure.“Separately sorting waste enabled us to easily identify where waste was being generated. We are also able to ensure that waste reaching the land-fill is significantly reduced. This fa-cilitated management to establish simple strategies to cut waste across the business. On top of creating an environmentally friendly workplace, implementing correct waste manage-ment procedures has provided staff with a greater awareness of waste is-sues,” van Zuydam says.Cementing EEC’s pole position in en-vironmental performance is the fact that nationally approved, traceable

and fully licenced service providers are engaged under the strict procure-ment policies of the company. The criterion includes regular inspections of the service provider’s processes, storage facilities, operational premis-es, final disposal sites and emergency preparedness response plans.“Such strict safety procedures are not a matter of choice. If neglected they could mean life and death as some of the materials we use such as transformers contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Ingestion and pro-longed contact with the can causes some damage, cancer and skin rash,” she says.These also produce toxic fumes, cause long lasting pollution of soil and water supplies since they are not biodegrad-able, adversely affect pregnant women


“We’ve adopted the cradle to cradle

approach across all sectors of our business.

Cradle to cradle is a sustainable business strategy that models

its process after the regenerative cycle

found in nature.”

and contaminate food, and accumu-late in human fatty tissues.EEC and the service providers ensure that the transformers, when removed do not contaminate the surroundings. Transformer sheds that comply with UN standards are built. Oil is also dis-posed of in a bonded area. EEC has put in place protocols that are validated by Eswatini Environmental Author-ity and UN agencies to dispose of all harmful, and potentially harmful products.The company is phasing outall trans-formers that contain PCBs and the tar-get is that by 2028 the entire electric-

ity network in the country will have none of these.This is an ambitious goal and EEC has invested considerable resources to meet the target.“We’ve adopted the cradle to cradle ap-proach across all sectors of our busi-ness. We monitor the lifecycle of all products we use as part of the strict ISO 14 001 standards. We hold regular waste management awareness talks, stakeholder engagements, activations in the print, online and social media platforms throughout the country and through workshops. All these in-terventions are designed to create an

interactive experience for key stake-

holders which comprise employees,

suppliers, business associates, our

customers and the public at large. This

also enables EEC to receive direct feed-

back from key stakeholders and mem-

bers of the public on our services” Van

Zuydam says.

“These communication interventions

go give key stakeholders the opportu-

nity to share their views, identify ar-

eas that need intervention in order to

improve efficiencies and address que-

ries about EEC’s carbon footprint.”


Creating Strong Business Partnerships, Keeping Mbabane City CleanIt is shoulder to the wheel as the Municipal Council Mbabane, collaborates with business towards realising the vision of a clean, safe and beautiful world-class city. MUSA NDLANGAMANDLA reports

Mbabane City has embarked on a campaign to raise awareness whilst encouraging residents to

manage waste effectively and further take care of their environment. As part of the Council’s strategic approach, the City seeks to address issues of littering, illegal dumping, overloading of bins and dilapidation of open spaces that usually results in the manifestation of pests and vermin.Mbabane City CEO Gideon Mhlongo, showered accolades on businesses and organisations in the City, who work hand in hand with the City towards ensuring good practice in waste management.He acknowledged that the businesses have pledged to partner with Mbabane City Council in the crusade for environmental stewardship, by committing resources towards the

implementation of forward-looking waste management practices.Mhlongo said strong partnership between the private and public sector entities would pave the way for environmental cleanliness as well as employment creation within the City.At least 109 companies, particularly in the food business sector, have joined forces with the Municipal Council of Mbabane, on a waste minimisation project focusing on recycling and composting. The priority focus is upscaling the City’s green practices to include formal communities and commercial business and herald technology-supported, sustainable best practice in waste management. The intervention promotes reducing, reusing and recycling of waste. The public, private partnership uplifts the quality of life for people throughout the City.

Mhlongo explained that he was pleased with the fruits yielded by the partnership and called for more participation from more community enterprises and the private sector.“The notion that people must look to government for sustenance should be removed and replaced with the private public partnership (PPP) to make Mbabane City a world-class clean city whilst promoting job creation,” he says.Mhlongo says the City was working with schools to inculcate the habit of cleanliness to pupils and teachers. He said unless cleanliness is made a culture that is embraced by the whole community, it would drain the resources of the City.In another matter, Ellen Matsenjwa, project manager of the EU partnership with the Municipal Council of Mbabane, notes the importance of

EUROPEAN UNION


changing the minds of residents with regards to keeping the City clean. This, she says, calls for the City to invest more in educating communities in order to change the way they look at and relate to waste. She further calls on residents to make cleanliness a tourist attraction intervention.She says this is a fine example of cross-sector collaboration for successful Public/Private Partnerships. This collaboration, she says, combines public, private and non-governmental resources at a time when global concerns cannot be solved by single sectors.Matsenjwa says as part of the forward-looking strategy on waste management, Council has introduced a Segregation at Source project by which residents will separate their waste at their homes using a multi-bin system.Instead of bins at the doorstep or kerb along the road for waste and recyclables, there four colour coded bins are provided. The green bin is for paper waste, the red bin for empty

cans, blue for food waste and yellow for bottles, plastic, glass and plastic bags and black is for cartridges.The good waste bins can include all food scraps, no matter how spoiled, along with vegetation from yards like leaves and flowers. And solid paper products including coffee cups, waxy paper, and milk cartons.“The Segregation at Source programme encourages residents to separate waste at their homes utilising a ‘3-receptacle model’. In addition to the regular black bin, each household that forms part of the programme will be issued with a reusable bag for paper and a clear bag for other types of recyclables,” says Matsenjwa.This means that only waste that cannot be recycled ends up in the black bins. The programme currently covers over 2625 households and 21 000 residents.

Illegal Dumping, Littering Dire Costs to City

The Municipal Council of Mbabane spends about E5 million per year on wate collection only and a fur-

ther E2 million in the various pro-grammes all in an effort to keep the City streets and environs clean and fit for human habitation. A staggering amount of the budget is spent annually on efforts to deal with illegal dumping. Illegal dumping is an unseemly practice that unfortunately is quite prevalent and daunting when it comes to waste management.Research shows that the amount could be used to improve service delivery, bring relief to ratepayers and fix potholes in the City roads. Even though illegal dumping is a serious criminal offence and attracts up to E5000 in fines, it has consequences that affect the whole community.Meanwhile, illegal dumping negatively affects the following important areas of life:Public health - Illegal dumping can be the ideal breeding area for mosquitoes and vermin such as rodents and cockroaches that cause serious life-threatening diseases.Environment- Illegally dumped waste takes up space that can be used for constructive purposes like recreation, gardening. Most often it has hazardous substances and chemicals that could cause damage to the soil, air and

groundwater. This can lead to serious injury or death of people and animals.Community- Property value declines, ratepayers’ money is diverted to clean up dumps. Illegal dumping also spoils the look of an area.All these amounts would rather be used on service delivery initiatives.A lot of these illegal dumpling cases happen on undeveloped plots, unkempt plots, open spaces and forests around the City.The dumping mainly consists of builders’ rubble and construction site waste. On average such waste accounts for 250 tonnes per week. The Municipality allows the construction industry to get a disposal certificate to dispose of in contaminated waste at the landfill site free of charge.If a resident is cutting trees and does not have transport or means of carrying the waste they may apply to the Municipality for special collection at a nominal fee. The Municipality also has options for bulky waste disposal services. The Municipal officers are a phone call away and they collect at schedules intervals.“However, the success of these interventions depends on full cooperation and assistance by the community. The most important thing is to change behaviour and adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards eradicating illegal dumping,” says Ellen Matsenjwa, the project manager.“Taking care of the environment and avoiding criminal activity when it comes to waste collection and disposing starts with the individual. It’s true what they say about taking a horse to the rivers, but not being able to force it to drink.”The laws are there for people who dump litter illegally. The fines, according to existing laws, can go up to E5, 000. The Municipal Council of Mbabane works closely with the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance. There are also litter wardens, environmental health inspectors and private security companies monitoring the City day and night.“Consequences are dire for those who violate illegal dumping and littering regulations. Those caught on the other side of the law are fined and vehicles used for illegal dumping can be impounded,” Matsenjwa says.

To report illegal dumping:Call Municipal Law Enforcement & Security 2409 7065Environmental Officers (who by default are litter wardens) 2409 7000Switchboard 2409 7000

MCU- EU FundedProject Partners

Area of expertise: Scientific research and publicity

Area of expertise: Bokashi Technology

Area of expertise: Waste Bylaws


Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: A matter of survivalMbabane City mobilises coalition for positive change, pushes for paradigm shift on waste disposal and management. Youth of Mbangweni are fully be-hind the project.Writer: Musa Ndlangamandla

It is easy to understand why the City of Mbabane is in the fore-front of waste management and recycling efforts throughout Es-

watini.Mhlongo and the entire municipal team understand that with rapid ur-banisation, solid waste management is the most important service a City can provide. With Mbabane being an ideal destination for investment, busi-ness and leisure, there is no gain say-ing that proper waste management is the nexus of the City’s ability to ef-fectively deliver basic services to res-idents. Mhlongo wants residents to see waste in a positive light.“Whilst we play a leadership role in en-suring a full cycle approach towards waste management, we encourage residents and the general public to be part of the solution. That is why we have developed a waste minimisa-

tion Plan with a purpose to turn waste streams into value streams. We have put in place various programmes that encourage people to reduce, reuse, recycle, or recover as much waste as possible before burning it (and recov-ering the energy) or otherwise dispos-ing of it,” Mhlongo says.“We are moving full steam ahead with our project of Separation at Source across the City. At the Municipal Council of Mbabane, we believe that if communities are mobilised to sort waste at household levels, that will go a long way in waste reduction and the creation of a clean City,” Mhlongo saysMhlongo emphasises that the Munici-pal Council of Mbabane is a stakehold-er-driven organisation and as such, a strong partnership with key stake-holders and the community crucial to the entity’s vision to be the leading in-tegrated waste management company in Africa and be considered amongst the best in the world.

The Municipality’s approach is based on the following pillars:· Avoid creating waste as much as

possible. If anything, there is an economic loss every time resources are utilised in a way that results in them being discarded as waste.

· Recover the valuable raw materials from waste. The City has introduced the ‘Segregation at Source’ initiative. Residents are encouraged to place plastic, bottles, papers and tins in separate bags and bins. Mbabane City continues to mobilise the various sectors of the community to act as the vanguard of their own environment.

· Generate income from recycled waste. With the ever-increasing tonnage of refuse, experts observe, due to the expansion of urban spaces, which implies increased collection, transportation and disposal costs, recycling waste has become one of the sustainable approaches to income generation.


“We should all draw inspiration from the CEO of the Municipal Council of Mbabane Mr Gideon Mhlongo

for being steadfast in the rallying call and efforts to turn trash

into treasure. Everyone stands to benefit.”

· Only dump what is left over from the residue. But only do so in an environmentally friendly way.

An effective ‘war against waste’ is no longer a matter of choice but has become a matter of survival for the 95, 000 residents of Mbabane. Current trends demonstrate ably that Mbabane, is sitting on a ‘time bomb’ as the City could run out of landfill airspace in the next 2 years. That is why Mhlongo and his team are increasing the volume challenging everyone to think deeply about where, when and how they dispose of waste.Parallels can be drawn between waste disposal and management efforts in Finland, particularly in the City of Salo. Mbabane City and the City of Salo have established formal ties to share notes on international best prac-tice in waste management. The City of Salo has become a model of success from which others can draw valuable lessons on good practice. This has cul-minated in, amongst other things, the strengthening of capacity in waste management through training and public awareness in sustainable sort-ing; transportation; recycling; job cre-ation, and revenue generation.“There is no reason why we cannot learn from, achieve and even be at par with our counterparts in the City of Salo. Working with key stakeholders in the waste sector we will continue

to innovate and improve the manage-ment of all waste streams, recovery sources, and extract value throughout the waste management value chain,” says Mhlongo.Sikhumbuzo Matsebula, Chairman of Makholokholo Multi-Purpose Coop-erative Society, says as community enterprises in the waste management ecosystem, they draw inspiration from the City’s efforts to encourage people to see waste in a different light.“Mhlongo and the entire Municipal Council of Mbabane are teaching us to turn what we consider as trash into treasure and wealth. This is more so considering the stark reality that our city could run out of landfill space sooner than we know, unless we change our ways. We need a paradigm shift in our mindset and interaction with waste,” he says.“How each individual resident embrac-es and supports this important initia-tive is a key factor for success. In the end, we as a people stand to benefit as this is for our welfare, our livelihood, our empowerment and wellbeing as citizen of the City. Everyone stands to benefit.”Environmental Health Officer Bheki Mkhonta paints a startling picture of the per capita volumes of waste gen-erated in the City. He says this is not only harmful to sustainable liveli-hoods, but also a propeller of environ-

mental degradation.“Mbabane City residents produce more than 12, 000 of waste a year, most of which ends up in landfill site in Mah-walala. We need to urgently reverse and change trends and behaviours,” Mkhonta said.Whilst Mbabane City is bustling with economic opportunity and hosts ev-ery form of activity from financial services to entities in the manufactur-ing sector, the momentum on proper waste management and recycling should be maintained.“The issue of innovative waste man-agement is high on the agenda of the Municipal Council of Mbabane. Under Mhlongo’s leadership we encourage all people to develop a different mind-set diametrically opposed to indiscriminate littering and illegal dumping. As the Municipality we push the virtues of re-ducing, reusing and recycling as a way of dealing with waste management.”“Failure to act individually and collec-tively to change behavioural patterns and practices in the management of the different waste streams will create a land, water and air pollution crisis.”He says the Municipality will contin-ue to work with the public, mobilise churches and schools, engage busi-ness, labour and civil society organ-isations, and appeal to everyone to participate in the efforts for reducing, reusing and recycling waste.

Pine Valley youth also participate in the project.


Milestones• Food Waste Compost

produced 12 tonnes mixed with garden waste;

• Climate smart gardens 36;

• Main Composting Sites – 7 Windrows;

• Eco-products made from used waste materials;

• MOU signed with key project partners – ESEPARC; Braithwaite Investments and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) of India;

• Communication and Visibility Plan developed and implemented;

• Target groups identified within participating communities;

• Project Launch Actions +-500 people;

• Waste Bylaw formulated – support from CSE, local partners, MCM and EEA;

• Two SMEs established (Makholokholo and Sinotsangemvelo Cooperative and strengthening MRC cooperatives);

• Scientific Research – baseline profiles and analysis conducted; publication and documentation of project;

• Raising awareness, around 1000 people impacted;

• Trained over 350 participants. Project initiatives include Safety Health Environmental Representatives;

• Media coverage in both print and electronic platforms; and

• Branding – T-shirts, banners, Stickers, Notice Boards.

...From food waste in Bin

ESEPARC’s Mangaliso Mohammed, MCM CEO Gideon Mhlongo, Braithwaite Investment’s Derek Braithwaite and MCM Strategic Planning and Budgeting Manager Benedict Gamedze.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Municipal Council of Mbabane has over the years operated a Waste Drop-off Point for recycling purposes.


...to composting - windrows ...to organic garden

ESEPARC’s Mangaliso Mohammed, Braithwaite Investment’s Yuko and Derek Braithwaite, respectively.

EU Ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini H.E. Esmeralda Hernandez Aragones being adorned with ‘lihiya -kanga’ by MCM’s Sphesihle Nkwanyana

Centre for Science and Environment India’s Swati Singh Sambyal

Team from Municipal Council of Mbabane and partners doing a mapping of households session at Mbangweni.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Municipal Council of Mbabane has over the years operated a Waste Drop-off Point for recycling purposes.


2508 3333800 9000TOLL FREE: (STANDARDRATES APPLY)

www.eec.co.sz | [email protected] | @Eswatini Electricity Company

“The future we want is in our hands. Let us unite and build it together starting with environmental stewardship. As a leading catalyst of economic and social development Eswatini, we support the initiatives of the Municipal Council of Mbabane funded by the European Union in

accelerating a green and recycling economy,” - Managing Director Meshack Kunene

Self Service

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TOGETHER MOVING TOWARDSA GREEN ECONOMY ESWATINI

municipal council of mbabane - european union: … · recycling, green economy the municipal...

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