daniel chigunweEnacy Mapakame
Funding constraints on the back of a depressed economic environment is a major drawback in implementation of urban renewal projects that should transform and support the smart cities initiative.
Last August, Local Government and Public Works, Minister July Moyo, indicated the Government’s ambitious plan to turn the country’s urban centres into smart cities with modern infrastructure, from housing, transport, communication, water and sewer reticulation infrastructure.
The plan is further supported by Zimbabwe’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which emphasises the need for residents to have access to quality, affordable homes in both urban and rural locations.
Old residential areas like Mbare, he said would be transformed under the urban renewal proposal while a policy would also be set to allow for construction of high rise structures in high density areas to narrow the housing backlog.
The Ministry also revealed that under this initiative, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), had entered into partnership with Mutare City for the redevelopment of Sakubva.
In the capital city — Harare, Mbare has been earmarked for the urban renewal programme while Makokoba in Bulawayo is also targeted for urban renewal.
Some high density areas in the resort town of Victoria Falls have also been identified for the programme where old housing stock should pave way for modern facilities in line with growing modern trends.
However, progress on these initiatives has been slow due to lack of funding and buy-in from stakeholders.
“One of the major challenges facing urban renewal projects in Zimbabwe is funding,” said civil society group the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD).
“Most of these projects require significant investments to succeed, but the government often cannot provide the necessary resources due to budget constraints,” added the civil society group.
In Mutare, the Sakubva project was officially unveiled in December 2019 but there has been no progress four years later.
The initiative is to modernise the outdated houses in the area and transform Mutare into a Smart City in line with the Government’s 2030 Vision. Furthermore, this is consistent with SDG 11, which focuses on creating sustainable cities and communities.
Some of the significant projects that were intended to be done include high-rise flats in Sakubva, the refurbishment of the Sakubva Flea Market, the long distance bus terminus, the Sakubva Beithall, Sakubva Stadium, and the Sakubva Vegetable Market.
“It’s important to note that four years have passed and none of the projects have started,” said ZIMCODD.
Sakubva was built in 1925 as a colonial settlement for people who worked at the Nyakamete industrial site, which was once one of Zimbabwe’s major sources of foreign currency and local economic development because of companies such as Border Timbers, Tanganda, PG, and Carina.
Residents are still living in substandard homes that were even condemned during the 1970s by council officials.
It is 43 years after the country gained its independence and people still live in those houses with popular structures like Matida hostels housing as many as three families in a single room with poor hygiene practices.
Lack of technical expertise and corruption also rank among the problems stalling projects while poor monitoring and evaluation of programmes also result in poor public finance management.
“Corruption is a significant problem in Zimbabwe, and it can affect urban renewal projects. Bribes and other forms of corruption can lead to substandard construction, delays in project completion and mismanagement of funds.
“For instance, there is a lack of strong monitoring and evaluation to ensure there is progress and transparency in the use of public funds,” said ZIMCODD.
Bongani Ndlovu