EswatiniBank, Scalisa to build 12 houses
NGCULWINI - EswatiniBank yesterday announced a lucrative deal with Scalisa Foundation.
The deal entails the construction of 12 houses by EswatiniBank, in conjunction with the foundation, over a period of three years. It effectively means that the bank for emaSwati will construct four houses per year.
Impressed with the humanitarian work by Scalisa Foundation, Ndlunkulu Nozizwe Mulela, the Managing Director of EswatiniBank, announced the deal during the official handover of a solar-powered flat to a child-headed family at Mantjonga at Ngculwini yesterday.
The flat, handed over to two women aged 25 and 21 and their dependants who included young children, was built by the foundation in collaboration with the government-owned financial institution.
The founder of the foundation is Senator Tony Nkosikhona Scalisa Sibandze. He named the organisation after one of his names.
Organisations
The two organisations (Scalisa and EswatiniBank) built a modern flat, kitchen, toilet and fenced the land on which the children set up a home.
Their parents died a couple of years ago. They then went to live with their cousin at Mafutseni, who was uncertain about the treatment they would receive after his death, suggesting that he should help them find land on which they would build their own home.
The project costs over E100 000 as the organisations bought them furniture, which included beds and wardrobe.
Setsabile Sihlongonyane (21) said they managed to build a stick-and-mud flat which had openings on the roof, exposing them to inclement weather, particularly during thunder and lightning.
Setsabile, in tears, said there were times she wouldn’t sleep as the flat would be flooded, resulting in her carrying one of the children on her back.
A view of the newly-built house
(L), the old stick-and-mud room
(C) and the outside cooking shed
(R) built by Scalisa Foundation and EswatiniBank.
EswatiniBank Managing Director (MD) Ndlunkulu Nozizwe Mulela cutting the ribbon to the new house built by the bank and Senator’s Tony Sibandze’s Scalisa Foundation for a child-headed family of seven at Mantshonga, Ngculwini. Bishop Nash Shongwe and one of the children Setsabile assist the MD.
Seeing the new house being handed over to them, she was overwhelmed with joy.
In attendance, among others, were; Prince Gija, the Manzini Regional Administrator, Busisiwe Simelane, the former Managing Director of Macmillan, Bishop Nash Shongwe, Mtfongwaneni MP Roy Fanourakis, Scalisa Foundation’s founder Senator Sibandze and Scalisa Foundation Chairman of Board of Directors Alex Fakudze. Giving a keynote address, the MD said EswatiniBank, not for the first time, was approached by Scalisa Foundation to assist in the construction of the house.
“We had previously told Scalisa Foundation that we actually liked what they were doing,” she said.
She mentioned that they encouraged the organisation to look out for child-headed families in need, abused women without shelter, elderly people and other underprivileged individuals.
She said they were happy to receive a report from the foundation that it had received a request from a family that fitted the profile.
“Our work is beyond borrowings. We have to contribute to the development of the country, hence, the bank has sponsored soccer, choral music, businesses, churches and many establishments across the country,” said Mulela.
Mthunzi Mlotsa, the Accountant of the foundation, said the entity was transparent as its books were audited to ensure that funds were utilised for the intended purpose.
Bishop Nash heaped praises on EswatiniBank and Scalisa Foundation for the philanthropic projects they had done together.
He then thanked the bank for supporting his church with loans, starting from the time when the institution was under the late former managing director, Stanley Matsebula.
Matsebula died on January 11, 2013.