Chronicle Editor
Michelle Gwizi, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has said Umvutshwa Housing Project in Bulawayo is still on course but the Urban Development Corporation (UDCORP) is looking for alternative land to carry out the project.
UDCORP is a parastatal under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and is responsible for urban development.
In 2016, the parastatal initiated a youth satellite township on the outskirts of Bulawayo in Umvutshwa.
The project saw scores of Zanu-PF youths paying sums ranging from $50 to $3 000 for housing stands before it later turned out that Umvutshwa land was a private property.
This led to most Zanu-PF youths to believe they had been swindled in the botched housing stands project.
UDCORP in a statement on Sunday said it was now looking for alternative land for the project.
“The public is being notified that efforts are underway to identify alternative sites in and around Bulawayo, Upper Rangemore or adjoining Umguza Rural District Council,” reads the statement.
It said money that people deposited into a local bank for the project has not been utilised.
“The Urban Development Corporation (UDCORP), Project Promoters in partnership with the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) Project Financers, would like to assure all the Umvutshwa Housing Project beneficiaries who opened Homesaver Accounts with IDBZ that their savings are safe and no funds have been used by UDCORP for any purposes whatsoever,” reads the statement.
“UDCORP has no access to these funds because the deposits made in Homesaver Accounts are personal funds and under the control and ownership of the respective depositors in line with terms and condition of applicable to such accounts.
“The Homesaver Accounts aims at helping prospective home owners to save towards building up the required minimum deposit amounts for acquisition of residential stands and houses in the future.”
UDCORP said those who are not happy with how the project is being handled are free to withdraw their saved money.
“Furthermore, we would like to notify the beneficiaries that they are free to withdraw their funds directly from their personal Homesaver Accounts at any given time without any involvement of UDCORP,” reads the statement.
derick.khumalo