Chronicle Editor
Freedom Mupanedemo, Midlands Bureau
Gweru City Council is set to start work on its $5 million Mkoba 21 housing project after the local authority finally engaged a land developer, mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe has said.
Gweru City Council last year budgeted $5 million for the development of the new suburb and work on the project was supposed to start in January 2018.
The projects has however, been lying idle after the council initially moved in earth moving machinery to the site but later abandoned work after opening a few narrow roads.
Enterprising urban farmers were beginning to remove pegs on the site and planted crops.
In an interview, Cllr Makombe said the local authority has since identified a developer to partner council. “Like any other council, we have been facing financial problems and we have been failing to fund the project hence the delays in kick-starting it.
“We have, however, been in negotiations with a private developer so that the project starts and the negotiations are now at an advanced stage. We are left with signing of the MOUs before work can start,” he said.
Cllr Makombe who could not be drawn to reveal the name of the private developer said work should start in a few months.
“We are still negotiating but what I can assure you is that everything has been agreed on, we are just yet to put pen to paper for it to start,” he said.
He warned residents against cultivating on the piece of land.
“Residents should desist from cultivating on this piece of land. It’s an area that has already been surveyed with pegs in the ground. We will be developing the area soon so it’s pointless to cultivate crops there,” he said.
The new housing project has over 5 000 residential stands and is expected to reduce the city‘s housing backlog which stands at 25 000.
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