Chronicle EditorWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Masvingo City Council has expressed concern with private land developers who opt for private inspectors instead of certified council officials. Some land developers are reportedly flouting council by-laws through engaging private building inspectors, and council has vowed to stop the malprac- tice. According to the latest council minutes, a committee on public works has raised concern over the engagement of private building inspectors by land developers without council approval.
“The committee raised concerns that some land developers had engaged private building inspectors without council permission,” reads the report.
“The city engineer, Mr Tawanda Gozo, highlighted that he was preparing a circular to all land developers to the effect that no private building inspectors were allowed to carry out building inspections, except City of Masvingo inspectors only.” The report further indicates that from January to September this year council approved a total of 277 building plans for Victoria Ranch and 101 for the rest of the town. Mr Gozo said a number of land developers were flouting council regulations by recruiting their own inspectors.
“Inspection of all buildings lies with the local authority and there are statutes that support that. We have received reports that some unscrupulous land developers are hiring private building inspectors and we want to put a lid on that.” Mr Gozo said land developers caught on the wrong side of the law will be fined. However, December 12 Housing Scheme director Mr Wellington Mahwende said although most land developers have their own inspectors, they subscribe to Masvingo City Council.
“Most land developers have their own inspectors and we all subscribe to Masvingo City Council. Before we signed memoranda, at the turn of the millennium, land developers had a leeway to use private building inspectors, not now,” he said. The advent of the land reform programme has seen the expansion of residential land development in Masvingo.
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