Kwaluseni

Kwaluseni is an inkhundla of Eswatini, located in the Manzini District. Its population as of the 2007 census was 41,780. It is divided in two imiphakatsi:

• Logoba
• Kwalusenimhlane

The Kwaluseni constituency(Inkhudla) is located in the centralof ESwatiniand has an areaof 28.45 square kilometres.Almost half of it is Swazi nation land(communal) while almost all the tittle deed is found in the Matsapha Municipality. There are four chiefdoms within the area, namely, Mbikwakhe, Kwaluseni, Mhlane, and Logoba. All the unplanned settlements are in the peri-urbanareawithin Swazi nation land.

Kwaluseni is also known as a home to the University of Eswatini main campus. There are also other tertiary institutions around the Inkhundla. There is the institute of development management (IDM) and Gwamile Voctim.There are also a number of primary and high schools ( piblic and private), which makes Kwaluseni a hub for young and educated individuals and offers a vibrant atmosphere.

The so called Matsapha industrial town is also located within the Kwaluseni Inkhundla. The presence of this industrial town have provided employment opportunities to the people of ESwatini and have contributed to the growth of the area. A high numbe of people are migrating fro rural areas to the area leading to the high population. The Matsapha town is defined in the urban government Act of 1969 as amended in 2012 and covers an area of approximately 2000 hectors.The area was established as an industrial paŕk in 1965 and was officially gazetted in 1969.

Matsapha started with a cardboard box factory in the 1960s. Today it's labyrinth of factories, warehouses and offices. It is a home to such big hitters such as Conco, the Coca Cola concentrate plant and fashion international, a garment manufacturer that employes over 1250 people. Other notable industries are Macmillan Swaziland, the country's most leading publisher and supplier of school textbooks, and Swaziland beverages which produces local soft drinks and beers. Matsapha is also served by a railway station on the Goba railway, which connects to the city of Sphofaneni to the east and also servd by the Matsapha international airport.

Besides the industrial town there are a number of business placeces owned by people, both formal and informal businesses. There are food outlets, salons, shops, car washes, places where one can go for fun and relaxing, to name a few. The popular Ekhayeni Chillaz is one of the places of interest for having fun.

Due to the presence of the wducational institutions, the industrial site and the business opportunities Kwaluseni is now now densely populated. the large numbers of rental rooms are increasing rapidly. Kwaluseni is now considered a peri-urban area becauseit exhibits charecteristics of both urban and rural environments. The 2007 population and housing Census estimated a total of 60,064 (resulting in a population density of 2,104 person per square kilometre. This represented an increase of 44% when compared to the 2007 population of 41.780. The population of the areaunder Swazi nation Land within Kwaluseni is estimated at 48,467, which represent just above 80% of the entire constituency population.The recentcensus indicated that Kwaluseni recorded the highest percentage of people aged 18 and above(70.5%). The Matsapha industrial cite as well as the Manzini and Mbabane corridor of economic are a major magnet for migrants from outlying rural areas and other smaller towns and villages.

The rapid increase in the population, increase in rental rooms have led to a number of challenges. the main challenge is waste management.this is the main challenge because it has an effect to the environment and to the health of the residents. Waste management by definition is thw process of collecting, transporting, processing, recycling or disposing of waste material. Other challenges are increase in crime rate and prostitution.Recently Kwalusenti have hit the headlines in the ESwatini observer stating that theres a Surge in new HIV infection and it is the hotspot for the spread of HIV in Eswatini.

References

• "Matsapha The kingdom of ESwatini a royal experience".
• Dlamini, Wisdom (2018). "Kwaluseni waste survey report(Eswatini)" (PDF).
• Diphoorn and Kyed, Tessa and Helene (26 July 2016). "entanglements of private security and community policing in south Africa and Swaziland". African Affairs. 115 (461): 710–732. doi:10.1093/afraf/adw028.
• Matsebula, Bhekithemba (2012). Factors influencing the growth of informal rental housing in Swaziland:the case of Matsapha peri-urban area.
• Ndlovu, Nonduduzo (July 2016). Influence of governance institutions on household willingness to pay for improved solid waste management in the peri-urban settlements of Matsapha Swaziland.
• Sibiya and Motau, Kwanele and Phephile (29 July 2024). "Surge in new HIV infections at Kwaluseni". ESwatini observer.
• Statoids.com, retrieved December 11, 2010