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Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
THE majority of owners of properties demolished to pave way for the multi-million dollar Mbudzi interchange in Harare have now received their full compensation.
The interchange replacing the old Mbudzi roundabout with 14 bridges and bridge-like structures, plus the left turn slip roads, will occupy far more land than the old inadequate roundabout, so the nearby private businesses and residential properties had to be bought out.
There is a straight forward law in this case, with the properties having three valuations and the mean being used to buy out the owners.
Speaking after a recent tour of the Mbudzi interchange, Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Mr Tafadzwa Muguti was happy that the property owners were complying and the majority of them had already been compensated.
“All the compensations have been paid and we just have one or two where we are now finalising with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works,” he said.
“There are two types of compensation, with the first being those who had properties within the vicinity of the project and I want to believe that only about 10 percent are left behind of the initial compensation.
“We have another group of about 95 people who had leases from the City of Harare and these ones are heavily impacted. They are going to be relocated to Hatcliffe or some of the Harare northern suburbs.”
Secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development Mr Theodus Chinyanga said compensation was an obligation of the Government and Treasury was constrained as it had to attend to other pressing issues.
“Those who have been compensated have already moved,” Mr Chinyanga said.
Online Reporter