Gweru resolves to expand size of residential stands

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU City Council has resolved to expand sizes of residential stands at its new residential suburb Mkoba 21 in order to lure more home-seekers.

The chairperson of the Environment, Works and Planning Committee, Councillor Farai Muza, said initially council was only selling stands ranging between 150m2 and 200m2, a development that saw a few people buying stands.

He said following concerns that the stands were too small by some potential home-seekers, council has resolved to increase the size of the stands to 300m2.

“The people or potential buyers have been complaining that the stands we are offering for sale in Mkoba 21 are very small. Therefore, we thought that we could increase them to 300m2 so that we attract more buyers. At the same time we are saying we are open to selling any size from 150m2 to 300m2 in Mkoba 21,” he said.

Clr Muza said the bigger stands are expected to sell very fast.

Mayor Clr Kenneth Sithole said people wanted bigger stands to build their homes and have gardens and parking space.

He said the 150m2 stands were said to be too small for one to have a small garden or a parking space.

The sale of stands at the newly created Mkoba 21 suburb comes almost three years after they were unveiled to potential buyers.Council’s Finance director Mr Edgar Mwedzi is on record as saying that the sale of stands in Mkoba 21 which resumed this year was expected to result in council making $2 037 140 in 2018, a figure he said would constitute five percent of the total council budget.

“This is in line with our objective of increasing residential accommodation from the current 27 500 units to 28 000 by December 2018,” he said.

Mr Mwedzi said council will next year start giving residential stands in Mkoba 21 to its workers, in lieu of their outstanding salaries and bonus payments for 2015 after the government recently approved the plan.