Online Reporter
Bulawayo City Council, like all other local authorities across the country, lacks resources to provide enough residential stands to its people.
It has the land, yes, but does not have the money to subdivide the land, service it before selling the residential stands.
However, the city has been doing well in recent years by working with private companies that secure land from it, subdivide that land into residential lots, service it, and sell the stands to residents for housing construction. Through the public-private partnerships, thousands of households, which would otherwise have struggled as tenants with no hope of owning houses, are now able to buy stands on which they are building beautiful homes.
In August this year, two separate collaborations that council has with Enock Construction and Earth Moving Equipment delivered 650 fully serviced stands in Mahatshula East suburb. Huge houses are coming up in that area.
Yesterday, the local authority, together with two other companies, Natwecraft Investments (Pvt) Ltd and Cabin Lock Construction, delivered 465 housing stands in Luveve North and Emganwini suburbs.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Judith Ncube, hailed the local authority and its partners for working together towards reducing the city’s housing backlog, estimated at 140 000 units.
“This initiative is guided by His Excellency, the President, who in November 2023 launched the local authorities’ blueprint ‘Call to action, no compromise to service delivery’. This project ticks all the boxes because it not only provides decent homes but also creates jobs for our men, women, and youth,” we cite her as saying elsewhere today.
“I commend the city and its partners for a project of this magnitude, which has resulted in our men, women, and youth being employed, thereby improving livelihoods. In turn, results in a citizenry that can honour their obligations, including the payment of bills.”
The city must deepen the partnerships, securing more private companies to provide more land for them to develop and sell stands to those who have the means to build their dream homes. This will go a long way in helping our people to have roofs over their heads, not to spend their lifetimes in rented homes with zero honour and dignity.
However, as council goes enlists more companies to deliver stands for housing development, it must uphold standards.
Yes, council is out there seeking partnerships, but it must not be so desperate as to compromise standards. Every private partner that the local authority engages must build basic infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, and water connections, first, before the city grants it permission to sell the stands.
In cases where the developer goes beyond the provision of stands to actually build the houses before selling them, council must ensure that the houses are of acceptable standards. This will forestall reports such as we have heard of some developers who build and sell houses that quickly develop cracks and have their roofs blown off, especially in the western suburbs.
