Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
TSHOLOTSHO town board has identified land that will be developed to offset its growing residential and commercial stand application list as the area continues to expand.
The town has a housing waiting list of 1 070 units.
Tsholotsho was recently granted town status by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, as the Second Republic steps up efforts to develop the district in line with the vision of transforming the country into an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
The granting of the town status to Tsholotsho presents a golden opportunity for further growth in both residential and commercial stands in line with the new status.
Last year, the local authority unveiled an ambitious 10-year expansion master plan that covers a radius of 10km where residential, industrial and commercial stands will be availed as the town fulfills its resolution to contribute towards the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
In an interview, Tsholotsho chief executive officer Mr Nkululeko Sibanda said land has been secured through engagements with traditional leaders within the periphery of the business centre.
“We have the land for the construction of houses, industrial and commercial infrastructure. At the moment though the land is awaiting to be developed before we parcel it out because it is criminal to parcel out undeveloped land,” said Mr Sibanda.
He said council will soon engage a town planner who will work with the physical town planning committee.
“Now that we are a town, it is even more urgent to have our own town planner because we can’t operate without one,” said Mr Sibanda.
Areas that will be affected by the Tsholotsho expansion plans are in Wards 12, 13 and 22.
The three wards, including the business centre, have a total population of 22 881, according to the 2022 housing and population census results.
Council officials said stands will be availed for factories, retail shops, high, medium and low housing development and there will also be smallholder plots for those who want to venture into peri-urban agriculture.
Despite being endowed with natural resources such as gold, gas, timber and game, Tsholotsho has no manufacturing industry or major supermarkets.
This has resulted in the slow growth of its business centre.
A poor road network has also been blamed for the slow growth.
Real development is, however, set to take place in Tsholotsho with the Second Republic committing itself to rehabilitating the 115km Bulawayo-Tsholotsho road.
Ward 22 Councillor, Alderman Phumuza Dube who is also the area committee chairperson for the expansion project said completion of the rehabilitation work on the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho road will further speed up the development of Tsholotsho town.–@skhumoyo2000
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