adminMichael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
KWEKWE City Council has unveiled 688 housing stands in a bid to reduce the city’s housing backlog now estimated at more than 3 000.
Kwekwe Mayor Councillor Matenda Madzoke said of the stands, 300 will be developed by a private developer while others will be developed by the local authority.
“We have given 300 stands to a private developer CBZ Bank which is already developing them while as council we will also develop the other 300 before selling them to people on our waiting list,” he said.
Clr Madzoke said there was enough land in the mining town that can cater for everyone in the city.
“We want every one of our citizens to have a home and if we have the land, why not give it to our people so that everyone has shelter,” he said.
Chairperson for Council Housing Committee Councillor Leminus Dube said the local authority is targeting to have everyone in the city owning a house by 2060.
“We are in tandem with the Government’s goal on accommodation which says a home for everyone by 2060, and if we continue like this we can achieve the goal in no time,” he said.
Council director of Works Engineer John Mhike said work by council was set to start soon.
“We are ready for the work and we have given ourselves a timeframe that we are going to take to complete the connection of water pipes, sewer system and roads,” he said.
Eng Mhike said with the equipment at hand, the stands could be ready in two months.
“For water, we can dig 300 metres a day and after that we lay the pipes and test them before we cover them, that will not take us time before we embark on the sewer system which is comparatively tougher than the water line,” he said.
Eng Mhike added that the road network will be tarred and public lights installed before people start construction in the area.
“We want to do a proper job so that next time when we say we want to embark on a project, people will not doubt our capabilities.”
The development of the stands is also part of Kwekwe’s quick wins of the city’s 100-day plan that they set themselves.
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