Repossession of Cowdray Park housing stands stopped

The Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo, on Wednesday ordered that the repossession of stands should stop and that those that had been taken from original beneficiaries be returned.
He said the beneficiaries, being low income earners were given about eight years to develop the stands, which BHSCT project coordinator Mr Mkhululi Nyathi confirmed in an interview on Thursday.
The project started in 2006 when the Government wanted to afford low-income earners in the country cheaper housing.
Mr Nyathi said the consortium was not repossessing housing stands, as it was not mandated to do so.
While Dr Chombo said stands should be handed back to original beneficiaries, Mr Nyathi said those affected would be given new stands if they were interested.
“As a consortium we have no power to repossess but our role is to provide relevant information and mobilise resources for servicing land. When the programme started, allocations were done according to cooperatives and companies and leaders from each group met the Government, when the idea of setting up a vehicle to spearhead programmes and development,” said Mr Nyathi.
He said the consortium had challenges because only 20 percent of the 7 860 beneficiaries were contributing.
He said they had repossessed about 2 300 stands to date and there were no more stands to repossess.
“This is a self-aided scheme and it is not true to say some of those whose stands were repossessed were contributing. However, we have made considerable progress as the consortium, the Bulawayo City Council and Government to accommodate those who were affected on a new piece of land if they are willing,” Mr Nyathi said.
“There are no stands to repossess at the moment unless if people come and surrender their stands. Where there are challenges people should visit our offices as we are working on these issues as stakeholders.”
Mr Nyathi said those who were contributing were as good as developing their stands and the target was those who were not paying anything.
He said they met as stakeholders to the project yesterday over the issue.
Residents complained they were not being notified about the decision to take away their stands and would only find strangers building on the site, but Mr Nyathi dismissed the claims as untrue, saying they hold meetings twice a month with each segment and a general meeting for all beneficiaries every three months.
The Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai area is divided into 12 segments.
Mr Nyathi said they notified the beneficiaries through the Press and at some point used a door-to-door method, which proved costly and unfruitful, as most of the people had moved from their rented houses they had given as their addresses.
There are allegations that the stands that were mostly targeted besides those whose owners were not contributing, were corner stands and those whose owners had died.
Residents allege officials at the Hlalani Kuhle were selling these stands to new beneficiaries while building on those whose owners died and selling them as finished houses.
Mr Nyathi said the consortium was not into construction and would not build any house.
He, however, could not confirm or deny the selling of the stands.
Mr Nyathi said it was not the intention of the consortium to dispossess people of their stands. “This is a self-aided scheme and without the support of beneficiaries there would not be any progress. Nobody should be left disgruntled, as other stands would be given. As we speak more than 1 000 have been connected to sewer system,” said Mr Nyathi.
The confusion that is in the suburb is that many stands now have multiple owners and beneficiaries have threatened to axe each other.
Those affected implicated some officials (names supplied) whom they alleged were clandestinely repossessing and selling the stands.
When this reporter visited the suburb yesterday afternoon, the new beneficiaries were busy doing construction work on the stands.