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Patrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
THE Victoria Falls municipality is anxiously awaiting government approval to avail more than 3,000 residential stands that would see council realising about $9 million from the project.
The new project dubbed Buffer Zone is set to ease the housing backlog estimated to be around 6,000.
Town clerk Christopher Dube said the necessary paperwork for the project has been sent to Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo for consideration.
“We are still waiting to hear from Minister Chombo over the matter. I just took over office but I hear that the papers to do with the Buffer Zone have been in his office for one year,” he said.
The Buffer Zone is a 300 metre piece of land between Chinotimba and Mkhosana townships used as an animal corridor.
Dube said once approved, the project would also be a source of revenue for the municipality.
“Right now the Buffer Zone is 300 metres and we are saying let’s reduce it to 70 metres. We have no land for development and it is not an animal corridor,” he said.
Dube attacked environmentalists and wildlife activists who argue that the buffer zone should not be tampered with.
He blasted: “Some people are behaving like they are from the moon or something. They don’t want to understand our plight.”
Dube said if the council was a private company it would have folded because it was broke.
“We owe the government $4 million which was loan advanced to us to fund the rehabilitation of infrastructure ahead of the hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly last year.
“We are failing to repay that loan. We also owe Zinwa $2 million, Zesa $1 million and our workers $2,1 million, and pension fund $1 million,” said Dube.
He acknowledged that more than 3,000 home seekers paid $100 each to council for stands six years ago but have not benefited because the project has not yet been approved.
Dube also said council was owed about $5,8 million by ratepayers.
“Residents, tour and adventure operators owe us over $5 million,” he said.
Minister Chombo could not be reached for comment.
Online Reporter