Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
GWANDA Municipality has been allocated 2 000 hectares of land for development after the local authority had run out of space.
The development will help the municipality to clear its waiting list which is sitting at around 15 000.
The municipality had submitted lay out plans to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement requesting additional land.
In an interview, Gwanda mayor, Councillor Njabulo Siziba said they had received feedback from the ministry to the effect that they have been allocated an additional 2 000 hectares.
“We had run out of development space as a municipality hence we submitted lay out plans requesting to be allocated more land in order to clear our waiting list which is ballooning.
The Ministry of Lands has informed us that they have allocated us a further 2 000 hectares. We are now awaiting the paper work to make this development official and then we can start developing the land,” he said.
“This land will go a long way in helping us clear our waiting list which now stands at around 15 000. It will also help us to compensate people who were affected by double allocation under the Garika/Hlalani Kuhle housing scheme.
Some stands were allocated to more than one person so we have to compensate those who were affected.”
He said residents that will be displaced under the Jahunda redevelopment programme will also be allocated stands in the new land.
Clr Siziba said the municipality will also rope in modern buildings in the new space. He said as the residential area will grow more schools, clinics, police bases and council sub offices will be built.
He said there was a huge demand for accommodation in the mining town and the municipality was working tirelessly to meet the demand.
“Under the land we will have a certain space allocated towards buildings that meet modern standards such as high rise buildings. Gwanda is the provincial capital and we want to ensure that we uplift the face of the town even through the buildings which are erected,” said Cllr Siziba.
He added: “We have more and more people relocating to the mining town which is increasing demand for accommodation. We also have students from Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic who are in need of accommodation.
The Gwanda State University will soon be establishing a campus in the town and this will even increase the demand for accommodation.”
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