Multi-million dollar housing development project launched

programme that will result in the construction of over 3 200 houses at Victoria Ranch Estate.
The area is on the outskirts of Masvingo City and the scheme is expected to benefit many workers, mainly civil servants.
The launch will enable the Victoria Ranch housing consortium that is developing the project to start the actual construction of houses any time from now.
It also saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Masvingo City Council and Masvingo Rural District Council, the key stakeholders in the housing project.
Victoria Ranch Estate falls under Masvingo RDC and the signing of the MoU between the two councils allows Masvingo City to start development of sewer and water reticulation infrastructure.
Masvingo RDC chairman, Mr Willie Maregere and the rural council’s chief executive officer, Mr Clemence Makwarimba signed on behalf of their council, while Masvingo Mayor Alderman Femius Chakabuda and his town clerk, Mr Adolph Gusha signed on behalf of the city.
The new project is part of the National Housing Delivery Programme that seeks to ease the housing backlogs in urban centres.
Masvingo provincial administrator, Mr Felix Chikovo, said the increased rate of rural to urban migration called for priority in housing development in urban areas.
“The signing of the MoU between the two local authorities is a milestone development as it paves the way for the resumption of the actual work, which has been stalled for the past seven years and as Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development,we are excited with this development as it will go a long way in easing the housing backlog in Masvingo City,” said Mr Chikovo.
He said that his ministry would continue to nudge the two local authorities and the housing developers to abide by the timetable they agreed to have completed the project as a way of making sure that prospective beneficiaries were notshortchanged.
Ald Chakabuda said council had already secured over US$2 million that was part of the money required for the installation of a main water pipes.
He said council would continue to look for more funds to make sure all the requisite infrastructure was installed for the benefit of prospective residents of Victoria Ranch.
The chairperson of the Victoria Ranch Housing Consortium, Mr Wellington Mahwende, hailed the move by the two local authorities as it would benefit thousands of people who were on the housing waiting list.