admin
More than 2 000 beneficiaries of the Government self-help project reportedly lost their housing stands as some were allocated to more than one owner.
According to the city council the resolution would result in one party remaining with the original stand, while the other would be offered a new one.
The local authority’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, yesterday said 1 670 stands had been allocated so far to resolve double allocations.
“The process of reversing the double allocations has been integrated into normal council administration where we attend to each client’s queries,” said Mrs Mpofu.
She said a fully fledged housing office was set up in Cowdray Park to deal with the issue of double allocations.
“Beneficiaries are already being assisted at this office with a view of addressing problematic issues, in particular, resolving double allocations,” said Mrs Mpofu.
“Double allocations are being resolved in line with the policy framework provided by the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo, at the handover of the project on 7 March 2012 and approved by council at its meeting of 4 April,” said Mrs Mpofu.
She said affected beneficiaries were being vetted as per council resolution of 4 April 2012.
The beneficiaries who were affected by the double allocations are now being called in person to resolve the irregularity.
“The project has so far been progressing well,” said Mrs Mpofu.
The Government handed over the Cowdray Park Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai Housing Project to the council in March this year, in line with the 2009 Cabinet resolution.
After the handover, a meeting co-chaired by directors of engineering services and housing and community services was held and attended by officials of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development and Home Seekers Consortium Trust to map the way forward.
The Government and the Bulawayo City Council recently embarked on an audit of the disputed Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai Government housing stands after Hlalani Kuhle officials repossessed about 2 300 stands from beneficiaries in the suburb on the grounds they were not paying developmental fees to the consortium.
An Inter-ministerial Provincial Operation Committee was set up to reverse the double allocations.
Online Reporter