Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare-Herald Correspondent
A US$4,7 million housing development in Harare’s Sunway City is expected to accelerate the Government’s drive to deliver one million new housing units by 2030, with authorities expressing confidence that ongoing public and private sector projects will help meet the national target.
The medium- and high-density housing project, being implemented by Sunway City (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ), has reached 17 percent advanced and is scheduled for completion by March 2027.
Speaking during a familiarisation tour of the project yesterday, National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Professor Paul Mavima said the development demonstrated the Government’s commitment to addressing the country’s housing backlog while creating sustainable human settlements.
“We have set a target to deliver one million houses by 2030. This includes all the developments by the private sector, the Government, provision of stands, as well as the actual construction of houses,” he said.
“We have to hit that target of one million.”
Prof Mavima said the Government was enforcing strict compliance with the National Human Settlements Policy to ensure that all new housing developments are fully serviced before occupation.
“Our human settlements policy is now saying that for every new settlement, we need to make sure that we have compliance in terms of the services that are there in the settlement. Sewer, water and electricity reticulation are preconditions that have to be satisfied before people move in,” he said.
The project, located on a 68-hectare site at Ventersburg Estate, will deliver 254 medium-density residential stands in the current phase, alongside supporting infrastructure that includes roads, stormwater drainage, water and sewer reticulation, a sewage treatment plant and public lighting.
Plans also provide for churches, schools, a college, industrial stands, commercial facilities and a police station, creating an integrated settlement.
Prof Mavima said Sunway City would become a model urban development supporting Zimbabwe’s Special Economic Zone programme.
“This is going to be a city within a city, with proper roads, sewer, water, everything that is associated with it,” he said.
“I am confident that we are going to meet that target in the first quarter of 2027. We want this to demonstrate the new urban settlement model that Zimbabwe is pushing.”
He said Sunway City was only one of several housing developments underway across the country.
“Very soon we will be launching another one in Borrowdale, which is going to be very significant. There are many areas where housing development is taking place throughout the country, and when combined, I am sure we will deliver on the one million,” said Prof Mavima.
Sunway City Acting Chief Executive Officer Engineer Valentine Zvomuya said the project was complementing Government efforts to reduce the national housing backlog while supporting industrialisation.
“We are working towards the development of 254 residential stands, with the target of completion in the first quarter of 2027,” he said.
“As Sunway City, we are complementing the Government’s efforts towards reducing the housing backlog in alignment with the National Development Strategy 2, which is to provide the necessary housing infrastructure where our people can find decent accommodation and a decent living.”
He said the company remained committed to delivering fully serviced residential developments to promote orderly urban growth and improve the quality of life for Zimbabweans.
