Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa-Mashonaland West Bureau
THE Government has commended the role of cooperatives in helping address Zimbabwe’s housing challenges, saying they are vital in efforts to achieve an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
Speaking in Kadoma on Friday during commemorations of the United Nations International Day of Cooperatives at Mupamombe Housing Cooperative grounds, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, said housing cooperatives were complementing national efforts to ensure decent accommodation for citizens.
“Mupamombe Housing Cooperative, where we are today, stands as a shining example of inclusive and sustainable community development which is well aligned with His Excellency, President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
“As I toured the housing project here, I was impressed by the progress made, including completing off-site infrastructure such as water reticulation, sewer systems and electricity, contributing meaningfully to housing delivery.
“As we celebrate this day, let us recognise that cooperatives are more than economic entities, they are powerful agents of social change.”
Mupamombe Housing Cooperative has so far completed 647 housing units, with more than 200 others at various stages of construction.
The scheme benefits civil servants, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operators and vendors.
Houses built by Mupamombe Cooperative.
She added that by uniting diverse communities, cooperatives were providing local solutions to both local and global challenges, while embodying the values of solidarity, democracy and self-help, and always placing people ahead of profit.
During the event, Minister Mutsvangwa commissioned an electricity transformer purchased by the cooperative and praised its capacity to mobilise resources, having already secured three transformers with plans to acquire another.
The minister also dismissed claims that cooperatives had been banned, stressing that Government recognised their critical role in improving lives.
“The Government has not banned cooperatives as they are key in complementing our efforts in changing lives,” she said.
She said work was underway to amend the Cooperative Societies Act to strengthen their operations.
The event was hosted by the Ministry in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Cooperatives Federation (ZNCF).
ZNCF president, Mr Mike Duru, said housing cooperatives were not only addressing shelter needs but also creating employment for thousands of Zimbabweans.
“We have raised a few issues that we want reviewed in the Cooperative Societies Policy which will unlock our full potential as a sector,” he said.
“Cooperatives shall contribute immensely to community building, for example, in housing construction, increasing agricultural production and capacity building across sectors.”
This year’s International Day of Cooperatives ran under the theme: “Cooperatives: Driving Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions for a Better World.”
