Chronicle Editor
Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council will soon adopt a new housing development policy that will see land developers not selling stands to home seekers, as this would be the sole responsibility of the local authority.
This comes a few weeks after the city’s Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube revealed that the local authority will not be engaging private land developers, with a number of housing projects left unfinished for a number of years, leaving desperate home seekers stranded.
City Mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni revealed that they wanted to have a win-win arrangement that will see residents not falling prey to property developers. He said in selling the stands, the local authority will stick to the housing waiting list.
“The suggested new policy of the city on human settlements is that if we are to bring private developers on board to aid us reduce our housing backlog, they will not buy virgin land and sell undeveloped stands to our residents.
“We expect win-win partnerships with private developers who will service the land with water, sewer and tarred roads.
“They then pay for the value of land with an agreed number of serviced stands.
“The city then sells all the serviced stands to residents on the waiting list on behalf of the developer and on its own behalf,” he said.
He said the property developer will also not have the prerogative of pricing the stands but that would be done by the city’s valuer.
“The city’s valuer will value the said stands on the basis of obtaining price indexes guided by our pro-poor policies. That way we will minimise risks of council having to take over failed projects at the cost of our suffering residents.
“It’s an added advantage to a developer who will service the land and build on the said land,” said Clr Mguni.
The mayor also said secured private residencies, shopping malls and high rise flats in western areas was the innovation the city was looking forward to.
The town clerk raised concerns when speaking in response to distress calls from Pelandaba West residents who still have no water and sewer systems after moving into their homes in 2015.
“We are having problems with part of Ward 27, Pelandaba West which has still not been serviced to this day. We are trying to facilitate dialogue between the private developers and the beneficiaries so that this whole thing comes to an end.
“We have 12 schemes that are being done by private developers and one of those that are giving us headaches is the Selbourne Brooke development and another one in Trenance suburb.
“The Trenance suburb developer wants us to service the area for free, but it will not be free because we will be taking the rate payers’ money.
“We offered to give him a quotation and service at a fee but he still has not delivered on his promises to the people,” said Mr Dube.
Last year the local authority revealed that private land developers in the city have cost council more than $8,5 million in unfinished projects which has seen the local authority now engaging property owners to fund the completion of development work. In total, 22 projects on both council and private land have been left without critical services like water, sewer or road connectivity.
derick.khumalo