Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Hwange Local Board (HLB) has started connecting water and sewer to 500 houses in Empumalanga Phase 4, which home seekers had occupied before servicing.
The council has been laying pipes and more than half of the houses are already connected to the water reticulation system and the remaining half will be connected in the next few months.
The local authority targets to connect water to the whole suburb, which is an extension of the existing Empumalanga suburb, by the end of the year.
HLB engineer Philip Nguni told a visiting team of Matabeleland North provincial councillors that toured the project yesterday morning that 60 percent of residential stands and houses have been connected to water.
“We have connected 360 houses and stands out of a total of 548 which translates to about 60 percent of work done so far. The sewer reticulation is linked to the installation of the trunk sewer line, so we are in the process of identifying a consultant to do the designs and thereafter we expect to commence works. We are looking forward to complete installation and connection before the end of the year or early next year,” he said.
The delay in connecting water and sewer is a legacy issue dating back to 2009 when the local authority’s previous administration engaged a contractor who failed to service the residential stands.
Desperate home seekers moved in and occupied the stands that they had been allocated without approval from the local authority.
The Local Board is using its own resources to fund the impementation of the project which started mid last year.
The project has been delayed because of the Covid-19 lockdown as well as the nature of the terrain because the houses are on a rocky area making it difficult to dig and lay pipes.
HLB public relations officer Mr Dumisani Nsingo said the local authority has since invited tenders for steel pipes which will be laid on areas where plastic piping cannot be used.
“We have since tendered for the procurement of steel pipes for water reticulation at Empumalanga Phase 4 stage 2.
We have opted for steel pipes because the area is rocky. We will soon be awarding the tender and we expect the work to be completed in three months time,” he said.
Speaking after the tour, Matabeleland North Provincial Devolution Councillor Charles Ncube, who was accompanied by another Provincial Devolution Councillor, Chiratidzo Mudenda, said the local authority had done commendable work using its own resources.
He said the visit to the site followed concerns raised by residents who are saying it has taken too long to be connected to water and sewer.
“As leaders we sat and approached the HLB management and what we have seen today is that the local authority has covered significant ground using its own resources. More than 50 percent of houses are now connected to water.
Some areas are rocky and they are putting steel pipes and they say they will be done in three months from now. From what we have seen I think this is achievable,” said Cllr Ncube.
He commended the local authority for awarding tenders and jobs to locals in line with Devolution Agenda which seeks to capacitate and empower local communities.
Cllr Ncube implored the local authority to engage its residents and other stakeholders so that they have correct infomation on issues affecting their welfare.
He also advised the HLB to use some of the Devolution money to fund development projects.
Government in partnership with the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ), is also spearheading servicing of 2 000 housing stands under the Empumalanga West housing scheme as efforts to clear the national housing backlog of 1,2 million through provision of low-cost housing for low-income earners in the country intensify.
This is part of President Mnangagwa’s vision for an upper middle-income economy by year 2030 which entails housing for all citizens among other social amenities.
Hwange’s housing waiting list is 11 000.
The Empumalanga West Housing Scheme was started in 2014 consisting of 2 145 stands and targeting housing for low-income earners but had stalled until Government partnered IDBZ in 2017.
Phase 1 has been completed with water reticulation at 90 percent and sewer at 50 percent while roads have been cleared.Government has been engaging the contractor to move back on site and work is expected to resume next month.-@ncubeleon
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