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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
THE construction of houses under the US$15 million Harare City Council and CABS joint venture has started, with 200 units expected to be ready for occupation by December this year. The project — the biggest such venture over the past 20 years — is part of the operationalisation of the Zanu-PF manifesto which seeks to deliver housing for all.
In its winning manifesto, Zanu-PF says 18 percent of Zimbabweans are technically homeless as a result of the deterioration of both physical and social infrastructure that was buffeted by sanctions-induced constraints since the turn of the millennium and pledges to cut the housing backlog that stands at 1,25 million by among other things, rehabilitating physical and social infrastructure using funding unlocked from indigenisation and empowerment assets through the IDBZ, Agribank and Sedco.
Harare City’s director of housing and community services Mr Justin Chivavaya said under the project, 3 102 houses will be built under the Budiriro Housing Development Project.
“This is the biggest housing project ever to be seen in Harare in the last 20 years. We are in this project together with CABS,” said Mr Chivavaya.
“We expect low-income earners and first time home owners to get the houses. We are eager to reduce the housing backlog.”
The phased project will have 3 102 houses on completion and would be sold for between US$17 000 and US$27 000 depending on size and number of rooms.
CABS will give a 10-year mortgage to qualifying beneficiaries.
The core units have room for extension. The smallest of the units consists of a bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, bath and toilet, while others have two or three bedrooms.
Mr Chivavaya says the two parties would soon advertise for the uptake of the houses.
Demand for housing in Harare stands at 500 000 units. The United Nations considers housing as a basic human right.
Mr Chivavaya said trunk services like water, sewer and roads are already in place and two sewer pump stations are under construction.
“This project is employing thousands of people. It is also creating employment downstream in the construction service industry.
“By end of November, 200 housing units should be ready for occupation,” he said.
An additional 208 houses would be ready for occupation in the first quarter of 2014.
Four housing developers have been given the contracts to build the houses. These are Masimba Construction, Mutual Construction, Big Nyathi and Manifest Construction.
Each of the companies has been given a set number of houses to be built.
Mr Chivavaya says the city is involved in other housing developments such as Glaudina, all housing cooperatives, construction of apartments at George Stark in Mbare and the Dzivarasekwa Housing Project running under the auspices of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Online Reporter