Online Reporter
Michelle Musandinyoze ,Chronicle Writer
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC), working with private land developers Natwecraft Investments (Pvt) Ltd and Cabin Lock Construction, yesterday commissioned 465 housing stands in Luveve North and Emganwini suburbs.
The development is part of efforts to ease the city’s housing backlog, which now stands at more than 140 000.
The milestone is expected to bring relief to thousands of home seekers while driving sustainable urban development.
Officiating at the commissioning, Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Judith Ncube, said the project reflects the country’s commitment to quality service delivery in line with national development priorities.
“This initiative is guided by His Excellency, the President, who in November 2023 launched the local authorities’ blueprint ‘Call to action, no compromise to service delivery’. This project ticks all the boxes because it not only provides decent homes but also creates jobs for our men, women and youth,” said Minister Ncube.
She also challenged BCC to ensure supporting infrastructure, such as roads and street lighting, meets regional standards.
“I want to thank the City of Bulawayo for leading by example in ensuring that we meet the Minimum Savings Delivery Standard Framework and the Urban State-led Management Policies. The implementation of the housing development project does not just provide homes for home seekers, but also creates employment for our locals,” she said.
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I commend the city and its partners for a project of this magnitude, which has resulted in our men, women and youth being employed, thereby improving livelihoods. In turn, results in a citizenry that can honour their obligations, including the payment of bills.
Natwecraft Investments managing director, Mr Nkululeko Moyo, said the project was not without hurdles, citing sand poaching in the area which had left open pits that needed reclaiming before servicing could progress.
“The challenge that we faced in this area was the presence of sand poachers who were digging up sand pits, so we had to reclaim some of the pits through laying rocks and firm material and it was not easy,” he said.
“However, these challenges helped us through the prolonged timeline of the project, helping us to gain experience on how to service the area better.”
Cabin Lock Construction’s managing director, Mr Tamsanqa Matobela, said that they completed the first phase of the project with the commissioning of 137 stands.
He said they expect to complete two more phases before year-end, which would ultimately bring the total number of stands 473.
“While this is the first time for us to be working with the City of Bulawayo, we stand as a proud company that our name is now permanently engraved in the history books, as having contributed to the development of this beautiful city,” he said.
Mr Matobela said the project is in alignment with the Government’s target of one million housing units, with a focus on the completion of 220 000 units under the National Development Strategy (NDS1) in the second quarter of 2025.
Bulawayo mayor, Councillor David Coltart, commended the two projects, saying that the provision of housing is the fourth in the city’s 2025 priority list.
He noted that BCC has made significant strides in the delivery of housing in the city during the course of the year.
“These multi-million dollar projects prove the city’s commitment towards providing quality serviced housing to home seekers. The city is committed to inclusive housing development that aligns with the financial capabilities of the residents,” he said.
“The City of Bulawayo has been able to deliver both medium-density residential stands as well as these high-density housing stands. Council has also been able to provide funding for these capital projects through the public-private partnerships that it has with various property developers.”
Cllr Coltart said that the partnership plays a significant role in reducing Bulawayo’s housing backlog of over 140 000.
“The city has partnered with up to eight property developers, resulting in up to 10 000 residential stands being available in the market. We are proud of the city’s partnership with property developers, as this partnership is not just providing housing but creating employment opportunities for locals,” he said.
“We have our local investors, employing local people in the servicing of these stands. In a way, the city is contributing to local economic development through the delivery of housing stands to the community.”
In August, BCC in partnership with Enock Construction and Earth Moving Equipment commissioned 650 fully serviced stands in Mahatshula East suburb to mark the final phase of the project.
Bulawayo has long faced a housing crisis, with the official waiting list standing at over 140 000 applicants, many of whom have been on the register for more than a decade. Rapid urbanisation, rural-to-urban migration, and limited land availability have worsened the backlog. At the same time, the city has struggled to develop land fast enough due to limited resources and high servicing costs
To counter this, BCC has increasingly turned to public-private partnerships (PPPs) to speed up housing delivery.
Since 2022, the council has partnered with at least eight private developers, unlocking thousands of stands across suburbs such as Emganwini, Mahatshula, and Cowdray Park. The partnerships not only ease the burden on the city’s stretched budget but also align with the Government’s vision to provide one million housing units by 2030 under NDS1.
