Town planning board appointed

Mbabane – The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has officially introduced the Town Planning Board, appointed by the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Appolo Maphalala, under the Town Planning Act, 1961 and Legal Notice No. 3 of 2026.

The Board members include Dr. Simon Zwane as Chairperson, ex officio members Vusie Mabuza and Dr. Adman Shabangu, and members Mzwandile Ndzinisa and Zwakele Dlamini.

The Ministry says the Board serves as a key statutory instrument in guiding and regulating spatial development across the Kingdom. “The Town Planning Board is entrusted with all matters relating to Town Planning Schemes and acts as the principal advisory body to the Minister on the preparation, variation and implementation of these schemes,” the Ministry reported.

The Board’s work is aimed at ensuring land use and physical development are structured, lawful, and aligned with national priorities rather than driven by uncoordinated growth. Its responsibilities include advising the Minister on planning policy, providing technical guidance to Local Authorities on Town Planning Schemes and township layout plans, overseeing rezoning applications, promoting the study and professional advancement of town planning, and ensuring planning powers are exercised responsibly and transparently.

Town Planning Schemes under the Board’s oversight define land use rights, development controls, zoning frameworks, and long-term spatial objectives. These schemes are intended to create predictability for investors, protect communities from incompatible land uses, and ensure housing, infrastructure, industry, and commercial growth are spatially integrated.

The Ministry added, “Sustainable development is a matter of governance, not chance. The Town Planning Board exists to ensure that growth across the country is structured, lawful and in the national interest.”