King cuts sod at CBE headquarters site
EZULWINI – His Majesty King Mswati III has officially blessed the new CBE headquarters during the 50th anniversary celebration held at Ezulwini yesterday.
Before the cutting of the sod, the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) Governor Dr Phil Mnisi presented a master plan for the proposed state-of-the-art futuristic headquarters which would be environmentally friendly and cater to the bank and banking community’s needs. This was followed by the King cutting the sod and blessing the site, where the CBE would construct their new headquarters. The significant event was attended by governors of central banks from the SADC region who were in the country over the past week to attend the Committee of Central Bank Governors conference.
Following the cutting of the sod, His Majesty delivered his speech, where he acknowledged that they were there to celebrate the CBE’s 50th anniversary at its new site recently purchased for the development of its headquarters. The King noted that during the presentation of the master plan, he was informed that auxiliary buildings would include conference facilities, recreational facilities, financial services museum, innovation and centre of excellence. “We are pleased with this capital development as the new structure will change the landscape of the fast-developing area of Ezulwini Valley,” said the King.
Mnisi said as the CBE, they were there to present the master plan for the proposed headquarters for the King’s blessing and consideration. The governor said the design of the headquarters was futuristic in nature, which also took into consideration the environment and climate change to ensure that the structure was complementary to the environment as well as other surrounding buildings such as the International Convention Centre and Five Star Hotel (ICC & FISH).
Phases
Mnisi said the headquarters were to be constructed on the newly-purchased property measuring 21 hectares. He said the bank would take into consideration the fiscal conditions of the country, hence the decision to construct the headquarters in four phases. This being the first phase. “Due to the magnitude of the project and the country’s fiscal positions, we have resolved to construct the headquarters in four phases,” he said.
Mnisi said the first phase would be the construction of the high rising headquarters, which would have a data centre, museum and innovation hub. He outlined that the proposed designs were not final but a proposals which would be duly considered and approved by the King. He said the plan was to construct an 18-floor building.
The governor said the current headquarters which were constructed in 1974 and opened in 1978 only has eight floors and as times have changed over the years, the structure no longer fit the profile of the bank.
While presenting the proposed designs, he explained to His Majesty the King that it was only meant to demonstrate the context of how the completed structure would look like. While describing the second phase, Mnisi acknowledged that on site, there was a structure which used to be Ezulwini Sun that the bank had already renovated.
He, however, mentioned that in the second phase, the bank would construct the centre of excellence and training, a conference facility, a wellness centre and a clinic. “The idea is that employees of the bank and any visitor from the SADC region who would come to the country for the regional sports events as well as members of the public would have access to the wellness centre and the health centre,” said Mnisi.
Continuing to the third phase, Mnisi said the bank would construct a sports centre, staff accommodation housing units as well as a car park equipped with a solar plant canopy. He elaborated that the idea was to ensure that the building was environmentally friendly, hence the plan to construct a solar plant to power the facilities.
The last phase of the project was the construction of multipurpose hall, which would complement the other buildings within the headquarters. Adding, the governor said the construction of the state-of-the-art headquarters was a long-term vision, which was envisaged to be completed in the next seven years, while being cognisant of the economy and affordability. “The intention is to build a World Class complex for the nation that will also benefit the economy,” he said.
The CBE governor said during the surveying of the site, they discovered that there was an underground water concern which could damage the structure. He, however, explained that technology would be utilised to harvest the water so that it did not cause dampness on the buildings and use it to create water features around the headquarters, which was also part and parcel of environmental compliance. He added that the plan was to ensure that the needs of the bank and the banking community were met and contribute to the economic development of the country.