About Us

Our Vision

To be the leading local government association promoting professional excellence for members.

Our Mission

Dedicated to the promotion of quality local government practice by:

Providing relevant quality services
Providing relevant management development programs
Provision of information sharing platforms
Conducting multi-faceted inclusive research and development
Advocating for local government best practice in all forums

What Guides Us

Core values

01

Innovation

"We continuously improve the way we do things"

02

Accountability

"We hold members accountable to the association"

03

Integrity

"We uphold the highest ethical and moral standards to the best interest of the organization"

04

Professionalism

"We execute duties with diligence and skill"

Our Story

Background

The Eswatini Local Authorities Management Association (ELAMA) is a registered association formed by all established Urban Areas — Town Boards, City/Town Councils and Municipalities — in the Kingdom of Eswatini, incorporated under the Swaziland Companies Act No. 8 of 2009, Certificate of Incorporation No. 2310 of 2014.

The organization has the following objectives:

01 To promote the quality of local governance by enhancing the managerial skills of persons in professional managerial posts.
02 To research on and develop the management sciences pertaining to local governance.
03 To promote and assure the effective teaching and training of managerial skills for local governance to such members of the Association as are tasked with such responsibilities.
04 To promote the image of local governance.
05 To undertake continuous evaluation of the requirements of managerial posts in local government.
06 To establish and maintain an information centre concerning local governance and hold meetings jointly with other associations and institutions, to promote and achieve the objects of the Association and matters incidental thereto.
07 To promote the professionalism of its members.
08 To initiate and provide advice to legislative authorities on proposed legislation pertaining to the governance of local government.
09 To establish and equip a cadre of professionals with skills relevant for the running of local governments, serving as a pool of first preference for appointment into local government positions.
10 To represent the interests of its members in any forum where matters are discussed, decisions made, policies framed, or any action is taken in relation to the operation of local governments.

Since the organization was registered in 2014, it has been operating without a dedicated office and without a strategic plan to guide its operations. A number of factors have contributed to this, including — but not limited to — the resource base of the organization. The organization is largely dependent on member subscriptions to sustain its operations, which has made it difficult to initiate programs and activities in promoting its key objectives.