adminInnocent Ruwende Harare Bureau
THE government is set to create three new towns near Harare and one near Bulawayo that will see the construction of more than 150,000 housing units.
Over 1,5 million people are on councils housing waiting lists countrywide.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, said the government would capacitate and give Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp) State land to develop.
Beneficiaries would be drawn from the government and local authorities waiting lists.
Minister Kasukuwere said this while announcing the new Udcorp board.
“We’ll be tabling the matter in Cabinet, we want Udcorp to work with financial institutions in delivering houses. Housing development is currently one of the most corruption prone areas of development in Zimbabwe,” the minister said.
“We want Udcorp to be transparent and honourable in its activities. Let the corporation be seen as a reliable investment opportunity for home seekers, financiers, partners, donors and other developers.”
Minister Kasukuwere said the role of housing development was supposed to be the preserve of local authorities, but due to numerous reasons and challenges councils failed to meet demand.
He said Udcorp should form partnerships with local authorities for housing delivery and help build their capacity to deliver housing in the near future.
Housing, he said, should not be seen as Harare housing, but also the provision of housing in rural service centres for new farmers, development of sustainable new towns, expansion of existing small towns and growth points and provision of commercial and factory shells to enhance local economic development for sustained urban growth and local value addition.
“Udcorp needs to be pro-active in tapping into the funding available for local governance training in the donor community. I expect the new board to be energetic, lead to dynamic injection of housing development activity starting today. Yes, I’m impatient for results. I want existing housing construction records shattered as we decimate the waiting lists with speedy housing delivery,” he said.
Economist and development banker Thomas Zondo Sakala will chair the new Udcorp board which also includes Hashmon Matemera, the former group managing director of BancABC; UZ lecturer in planning and development Audrey Kwangwama, ministry director Nyasha Priscilla Mudzinge, Harare Institute of Technology vice chancellor Eng Quinton Kanhukamwe, architect and technician Nyarai Gutu and EMA director general Dorothy Chasi.
derick.khumalo