Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, Sunday News Reporter
THE first batch of 200 offer letters were issued to Cowdray Park residents who benefitted from the Government’s Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai housing project in a ground-breaking initiative that aims to give security of tenure and ownership to citizens of the largest suburb in Bulawayo.
Once complete 15 000 residents from the suburb will get the offer letters, which is the first phase towards the attainment of title deeds.
The initiative, launched by President Mnangagwa in April this year, is known as the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds Programme where Government is accelerating the issuance of title deeds in all residential areas.
The programme is being implemented in distinct phases, with the first phase focusing on well-planned areas lacking title deeds, while the second aims to regularise informal settlements.
Over 7 000 title deeds were issued in April to homeowners in Epworth, Chitungwiza, Southlea Park and Glenwood in Harare.
President Mnangangwa told crowds at the 45th Independence Day celebrations at Mutora Open grounds in Gokwe that the issuance of title deeds in residential areas and to farmers complemented the Land Reform Programme.
The programme has since moved to Cowdray Park, a suburb with over 75 000 residents, where Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Professor Mthuli Ncube handed 200 offer letters to residents in an ongoing exercise that will be gradually rolled out.
“We are here today (yesterday) to celebrate and formalise the roll out of the Cowdary Park Kwangu-Ngakwami Title Deed Programme, a key milestone in housing delivery. Under this vision, housing development is a one of the 14 priority areas under the Infrastructure Development Pillar.
“Government has so far surpassed its target of building 220 000 houses by 2030 through various public private partnerships (PPPs) arrangements,” said Prof Ncube.
“It is against this background that His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, launched the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy in 2021.
“One of the key policy provisions is prioritising land delivery for urban and rural housing, including reviewing the land acquisition process, formalising and sanitising informal settlements and ensuring basic services such as water and sewer reticulation, roads and power are available to residents.”
Prof Ncube said the Cowdray Park programme is a milestone achievement that makes residents bonafide property owners, an achievement that should be applauded.
“Under this programme, informal settlements are being regularised and Government is deliberately facilitating the issuance of title deeds to long standing municipal tenants and those in Government enabled housing schemes, in both urban and rural growth points,” he said.
He said Cowdray Park will join Epworth, Southlea Park, Chitungwiza in the Title Deed Issuance and Infrastructure Development as part of the Phase 1 of the national programme.
“Cowdray Park is a well planned, surveyed, partially serviced settlement. However, more needs to be done in addressing water and sanitation, roads and other attendant social amenities.
“We are therefore here to kick start the regularisation and sanitisation process,” said Prof Ncube.
“The offer letters are the first step towards securing title for your properties and the rapid development of Cowdray Park. By January 2026, residents of Cowdray Park will see earth moving equipment on the ground for the construction of roads, sewer and water infrastructure works,” he said.
In a speech read on his behalf by Councillor Aleck Ndlovu, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor David Coltart said despite size and large population, Cowdray Park still lags behind in terms of the provision of basic services.
“The suburb has been giving the city sleepless nights as to how we can improve services, particularly in the Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai area, which falls under a self-help scheme where residents are expected to finance its development,” said Clr Coltart.
“It was established in 2005 when Government wanted to address mushrooming illegal settlements in urban local authorities but this came with a lot of challenges, as basic services were not provided for this settlement, so 20 years later, we are excited that Central Government is revisiting this settlement under the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds programme.”
Clr Coltart said US$33 million is required to address service delivery challenges in the Hlalani Kuhle area, funds that the city does not have.
“We understand that the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds Programme has the financial backing to fix roads, sewer and water infrastructure in this area. We call on the residents of this area to embrace the programme,” he said.
