Govt avails $2m for Sakubva flats

Abigail Mawonde Herald Correspondent
Government has allocated $2 million for the construction of flats in Sakubva in Mutare as it moves from the old system of building detached houses in a bid to save space.

President Mugabe announced the new housing policy at the inaugural Presidential Youth Interface Rally held in Marondera last month.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere echoed the President’s sentiments in the Senate last week.

He was responding to a question from Senator for Mutare Keresencia Chabuka, who wanted to know how Government intended to save residential space, especially where it is limited like mountainous areas as the case in Mutare.

Minister Kasukuwere said Government had already allocated resources for the construction of flats in Sakubva as part of a cocktail of measures to save space.

“This past week, we started at the OTS in Sakubva, Chineta, Matida and Chisamba. We held meetings with the citizens of that area and we have a space which has been set aside for the construction.

“If I am not mistaken, by next week they will be starting on digging the foundations and we have allocated them money amounting to about $2 million in Sakubva, Mutare, so that construction of these residential areas can begin,” he said.

Minister Kasukuwere said the programme would be extended to other cities throughout the country.

“This is a programme which will be carried out in all cities throughout the country so that people can have accommodation just like what was done by the late Honourable Minister Enos Chikowore, who was the minister then. They were destroying old houses and then constructing new ones. That is what we are going to do,” he said.

Government has embarked on a massive housing construction programme across the country to ease the housing backlog that stands at approximately 1,2 million units.

The target under Zim-Asset is to construct 125 000 houses by end of next year.