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Gift Banda

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has said its initial strategy of servicing stands and then building houses before handing the properties to occupants is no longer sustainable, hence it has resorted to engaging private developers to alleviate the housing crisis.

The local authority says the harsh economic climate is hampering its initial strategy to build houses for home-seekers. Addressing Magwegwe North residents at the commissioning of 490 residential stands, Acting Mayor Councillor Gift Banda, in a speech read on his behalf by Councillor Silas Chigora earlier this week, said the local authority had resorted to engaging private developers in its quest for housing delivery.

“Council in the past has used several strategies to provide housing to residents. The initial strategy which was used by the council was to carry out infrastructural development with regards to the servicing of stands, build houses and hand over the built houses to occupants. This, however, proved to be costly on the part of council and was thus not sustainable,” said Clr Banda.

He said while the majority of residents want council to revert to its initial system, the difficult economic situation continues to curtail its ability to build houses.

“Over the years, council has also used private developers to service the land and also sell stands to home seekers in Bulawayo. The other system that has been used is the pre-sell scheme which was used to sell and thereafter service these stands,” said Clr Banda.

He said the Magwegwe North pre-sell stands are the sixth in a series of pre-sell projects that council started and completed servicing.

Clr Banda said the others are 97 stands in Emganwini, 303 Mahatshula North, 390 stands in Emhlangeni Phase 1, 700 stands in Pumula South and 169 in Mahatshula.

“I am glad to say that over the years, we have been learning how to better manage the projects to ensure that we do not delay the clients with servicing.

With the projects that we are doing in 2018 going forward, we now issue adverts for tender and award before selling the stands,” he said.

Clr Banda said this had ensured that council does not under or over budget the costs of the stands as the price for each individual stand is divided to sum up total costs of servicing.

The city’s housing waiting list stands at over 100 000. The Magwegwe North stands were serviced by Bulawayo-based Asphalt Products.  — @AuxiliaK