Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
NATIONAL Housing and Social Amenities Minister, Soda Zhemu, has slammed Pevimag Contractors, a company contracted to implement the Senga Messengers Camp Housing Project in Gweru, saying there was a lack of progress.
The project, aimed at addressing the Midlands Province’s acute housing shortage, has fallen significantly behind schedule despite the Government fulfilling its financial obligations.
The development, part of the Government’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), was expected to deliver four blocks of flats accommodating 64 families by September 2022. However, two years after construction began in February 2022, the project is only 40 percent complete.
During a site visit on Friday, Minister Zhemu sharply criticised Pevimag Contractors for stalling progress, emphasising that the Government cannot afford further delays in its mission to address the housing backlog.
“This project is not held back by funding, but by the contractor. It is the contractor that we have to discuss with and see how we can proceed because we have to achieve what we want to achieve,” said Minister Zhemu.
“We expect the project to move and we cannot be stopped as Government seeks to achieve what it wants to achieve. So, we will have further discussions with the contractor to see how this project can move.
Minister Zhemu reiterated the urgency of the Senga project, describing it as critical to fulfilling the Government’s commitment to providing housing for all Zimbabweans.
“Our interest is to have the 64 families accommodated here as soon as possible. Housing delivery remains a key pillar in achieving Vision 2030, and we cannot allow projects like this to derail our efforts,” he said.
The minister said Government’s focus on densification and urban planning reflects its commitment to sustainable development, with flats playing a pivotal role in tackling housing shortages while minimising infrastructure costs.
Minister Zhemu said new timelines would be set after the contractor failed to meet previous targets.
The Senga Messengers Camp Housing Project was awarded to Pevimag Contractors at an estimated cost of US$4,5 million, of which US$2 million has been paid so far. The project involves constructing four, four-storey buildings, designed to house 64 families.
Despite initial progress, the project stalled in March 2024 due to the expiration of Pevimag’s insurance bond, according to site foreman, Mr Victor Mavunga.
The ministry’s resident engineer, Amanda Museti, noted that the public works department initially contracted to construct additional buildings, had its contract terminated to focus funding on Pevimag’s work.
“You are aware that we have a deficit of housing in the country and as a ministry, we had embarked on this project with a view that we would soon be getting units to accommodate people that are in the Midlands Province. Our interest is to have the 64 families being accommodated here, we cannot allow our civil servants to be stranded when we have the potential to intervene,” said Eng Museti.
Ms Kudzai Rimai, the ministry’s chief director for estates development and maintenance, assured that the ministry would assist the contractor in renewing the insurance bond to resume construction.
“We are here to work and assist the contractor so that this project is completed as soon as possible,” she said.
The Senga Messengers Camp Housing Project is part of the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy, launched by President Mnangagwa in September 2021. This policy emphasises vertical construction, such as flats, over stand-alone units to reduce urban sprawl and maximise land use efficiency.
Under NDS1, housing delivery is one of 14 national priorities, aiming to reduce Zimbabwe’s housing backlog, currently estimated at 1,2 million units. The Government is working alongside the private sector and individuals to deliver affordable, quality housing in both urban and rural areas.
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