Hon. Minister Mandla Tshawuka Profile

The Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Mandla Tshawuka, has rich experience in the agriculture sector, having begun his career in 1987.

Honourable Tshawuka began his career with the then Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation (RSSC) in Simunye as a Graduate Trainee in Crop Production and balance in Workshops. This would be the start of a long career with the company now known as the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation (RES). In 1993, he became a Workshop Foreman, a role he held until 1997 when he was made Assistant Harvesting Manager. In 1998, Honourable Tshawuka was promoted to Harvesting Manager, holding that role until 2001.

That year, the Honourable Minister became Technical Services Manager, a position he held until the following year, when he was made Operations Manager. In 2004, he took up yet another managerial post within RSSC, this time as Operations and Services Manager. In 2006, he held the role of Acting Agricultural Manager- Services. The following year, Honourable Tshawuka was made General Manager/CEO of Mananga Sugar Packers, a role he held for a year, until 2008. That year, the Honourable Minister became Agricultural Manager- Services at RSSC, which would be his last role with the organisation, serving in that role until 2022.

Honourable Tshawuka holds an MSc in Agricultural Engineering from Cranfield University (England), a BSc in Agriculture from the then University of Swaziland (now Eswatini), a Diploma in Road Transport    from Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg), a Diploma in Management (Senior Management Development Programme –SMDP) from Stellenbosch University (South Africa), a Diploma in Management         from Wits Technikon (South Africa) as well as a Supervisory Development Program certificate from Wits Technikon (South Africa). He is also a Master of Business (MBA) candidate, having completed his coursework. He also holds various other qualifications in Leadership, Contract Management, Industrial Relations Management, Finance for Non-Financial Managers and Negotiation Skills, among others.

In September 2023, Honourable Tshawuka was elected as Member of Parliament by the people of Mkhiweni Inkhundla. Then, on 13 November 2023, His Majesty King Mswati III appointed Honourable Tshawuka as Minister of Agriculture.