According to section 79 of the Constitution of Swaziland, the system of Government is democratic and participatory based on the Tinkhundla. The system emphasizes the devolution of state power from central government to Tinkhundla while individual merit is a basis for election and appointment into public office.
In general, Tinkhundla stimulate community development at grassroots level, coordinating and promoting a good relationship between Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working at the Tinkhundla level. They further provide a link between communities and government as well as other development agents to ensure the responsiveness of all national policies to the needs of the people. In the process they create harmony among all agents providing services within that Inkhundla .
The Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development has a mandate to facilitate the management of region development and facilitate promote service delivery at Tinkhundla and Chiefdoms levels. Tinkhundla are the foundation for the bottom-up development planning process and the delivery of local services in partnership with central government. A major area of focus in the process is the development; implementation, monitoring and evaluation of evidence based integrated development plans funded by development grants and central government budget where applicable. The Ministry also has a mandate to bring about improvements in the performance and effectiveness of the administration and management of the Regions, Tinkhundla Committees and chiefdoms.
Services
- The mandate of the Department of Decentralization is to set up and sustain an institutional environment that would strengthen Regional Administration and Tinkhundla to be fully functional local governments and to enable them to play a key and effective role in delivering social services and co-ordination and implementation of development programmes.
- Responsible for economic planning functions in the Ministry.
-Regional development planning.
-Fiscal decentralisation.
-Local economic and Rural development.
Public amenities
Poverty reduction
Rural finance
-Resettlement
-Performance reporting
-National development budget - Administration of the Inkhundla and Coordination of development programmes at the local level
- Regional Administration is responsible for the overall administration and co- ordination of social and economic development of the region.
- Mandate of community development is to enhance community initiatives by promoting socio-economic development through community participation, mobilisation, empowerment and skills development at grassroots level for sustainable development
- Responsible for the administration of the Ministry
- Monitoring the implementation of the Ministry’s budget and all the development funds