Shurugwi Town Council pushes major housing, health and infrastructure development

SHURUGWI Town Council says it is intensifying efforts to improve housing delivery, social services, and infrastructure development through public-private partnerships and strategic investment models aimed at transforming the town into a modern, self-contained urban centre.

Mr Fortune Marevesa, Housing and Community Services Manager for Shurugwi Town Council, said the local authority is working to ensure that residents benefit from well-planned housing schemes, improved service delivery and expanded social amenities in line with national development goals.

“As the Housing and Community Services Manager for Shurugwi Town Council, I am responsible for ensuring that all social services issues related to housing provision, educational facilities and youth facilities are adequately provided within our settlements. I am also responsible for ensuring that issues concerning solid waste management are addressed as well as recreational facilities aimed at improving our communities in line with sports and other related activities,” he said.

He stated that the council’s vision focuses on developing self-contained, modern settlements with complete service infrastructure.

“Our vision is for Shurugwi Town Council, with regard to housing and infrastructure development. It aims to provide self-contained housing, infrastructure and settlements that directly benefit our residents and beneficiaries. These are designed to be self-sufficient in terms of service provision, including economic, industrial and residential services.

Our goal is to achieve all this as a local authority,” he said.

Mr Marevesa said the council is also prioritising urban renewal and environmental resilience in all its development projects.

“We want to enhance the appearance of the town, revamping infrastructure for buildings and public spaces so that we can achieve a modern, safe environment for human habitation. We carry out several housing projects and related services within our area,” he said.

He mentioned that the town has implemented several housing developments through partnerships with private companies, pension funds and other stakeholders.

“One such model involves engaging the financial sector, pension funds and reputable land development companies as well as utilising other strategies like employer-assisted schemes,” he noted.

He highlighted the Unki Mines Private Limited project as one of the major developments.

“The project comprises 1,207 medium-density stands and we are pleased to report that, to date, over 800 stands have been developed. Of these, 700 have now been occupied with duplex and detached houses for employees,” he said.

Mr Marevesa noted similar progress under pension fund developments.

“We have the main industry pension fund in Impali, which was allocated a total of 310 stands, comprising 197 medium-density stands of 400 square metres each and 110 low-density stands of 2,000 square metres, also in Impali. We are pleased that the fund was responsible for ensuring all necessary infrastructure—both on-site and off-site—was put in place,” he said.

He added that the council actively supervises all developments to ensure compliance and order.

“Our role is to monitor and supervise all works, ensuring that every stage and piece of paperwork is inspected. The council has managed to address challenges such as illegal mining and informal settlements, playing its role to ensure the area remains free from illegal claims and other hindrances,” he said.

He also noted that housing demand continues to grow due to rural-urban migration linked to mining activities.

“Our current housing waiting list exceeds 2,000, driven by the influx of people seeking work from the mining sector and other industries,” he said.

Mr Marevesa highlighted the economic benefits of housing and commercial projects, including shopping malls, job creation, and increased local revenue.

“There are now hypermarkets like TM Pick n Pay, larger clothing stores such as Jet, numerous pharmacies, jewellery outlets and banks. People no longer have to travel more than 30 kilometres to access these services, as everything is now available locally,” he said.

He added that Shurugwi is also investing in health and recreational infrastructure, including the Sebanga Polyclinic, Makusha Stadium upgrades and water infrastructure projects supported through partnerships and devolution funding.

“The first phase was commissioned in 2023. We are now working on equipping the maternity section and we expect the polyclinic to be fully functional by the end of December this year,” he said.

Regarding infrastructure, he stated that key projects such as sewer lines, water systems, dedicated power lines and road maintenance have already improved service delivery.

“The impact of these projects is evident in better health and hygiene standards. Sewer blockages that used to disrupt communities have been reduced and effluent discharge into the environment has been minimised,” he said.

He added that road maintenance and water system upgrades have improved mobility, safety and water supply reliability in the town. The council states that it will continue pursuing partnerships with investors and government programmes to unlock more land for housing, industrial and commercial development as part of its long-term urban growth strategy.