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MBABANE – Despite given the chance, local construction firms chose not to indicate the tender. ESWADE said there were no local bids received for the tender, and there were only two international bids for the E2.6 billion tender. ESWADE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sam Sithole lamented the lack of local participation in capital and lucrative projects like the construction of the Mpakeni Dam.
“We lament the lack of local participation at the primary level; however, there is an opportunity to participate at the secondary level, where there is subcontracting, supply of material and services,” he added. The CEO also said the project would result in the physical displacement and relocation of approximately 146 households below the reservoir’s maximum operating level. He said this would lead to the creation of both formal and informal job opportunities for local communities.
“Currently, the project is implementing the first phase of relocating homesteads in the affected area and is at 52 per cent completion. This has already created job opportunities for local builders, who are hired through a Project Employment Committee (PEC),” he said. The CEO mentioned that PEC was a sub-committee of the Mpakeni Development Committee (MDC), which is responsible for coordinating the employment of non-skilled personnel.
He said each chiefdom was represented by two members who were also members of the MDC. “The respective traditional authorities appoint these two members, through a written instrument. The MNWAP has 16 members, who elected their own chairperson and secretary. The PEC reports to the MDC,” added the CEO.
Sithole said the main duties of the PEC were profiling the skills within their various chiefdoms and keeping a list of eligible candidates that were approved by their traditional authority, which they updated as per agreement with their other communities.
He said PEC would also coordinate the employment of non-skilled personnel in a fair and equitable manner with all employers who would be working under the MNWAP.
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They would also provide the contractor with a list of candidates for employment, as per the contractor’s request, according to an agreed protocol for the hiring of local people.
“PEC was also tasked with obtaining the monthly report on the employment of locals from all employers in the project, compiling their own report and sharing it with ESWADE, and periodically reporting to the MDC and other community structures on employment progress,” said Sithole.
He further stated that PEC would document and report grievances to contractors, through ESWADE, relating to employment issues.