Resource information
Unplanned and unregulated urban
development is not unique to Swaziland, but addressing the
issue through direct consultations with beneficiaries is an
important improvement toward resolving this persistent
problem. The Swaziland Urban Development Project includes
standard infrastructure work, such as increasing urban
roads, rehabilitating and expanding water and sewage
services, and developing a solid waste facility However, in
Swaziland it was the shift in focus from infrastructure
problems to land ownership policies that reframed the urban
issues. To make property ownership possible, the legal
framework was changed to allow for the signing of 99-year
leases by occupants. Project beneficiaries pay a deposit for
their plots and use their leases as collateral to access
loans to pay for the new services. The World Bank team
contracted with consultants to develop participatory
methods, provide training for personnel, and improve
institutional capacity. It was the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Development (MHUD) and the beneficiaries who worked
together to address the process of land acquisition. As a
result of the project's success, beneficiary input in
the process of urban development has become a mainstay for
projects in Swaziland. Social Development best practice
elements were identified as: Attention to adverse impacts,
especially as they relate to women and landownership;
institutionalized mechanisms for participation and
decentralized implementation; and ongoing monitoring and
evaluation of social development outcomes by the government
and community.
