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Clr Matenda Madzoke

Lovemore Zigara, Business  Correspondent
KWEKWE City Council plans to repossess stands which have not been developed for the past two years, a senior council official has said.

Kwekwe mayor, Clr Matenda Madzoke, said the repossessed stands would be reallocated to those on the housing waiting list who are eager to develop them.

“We have resolved to repossess stands that have been lying idle for years where individuals have paid half of what needs to be paid to council.

“We are rolling a programme to repossess those stands so that we can sell to serious developers. So, those who have taken more than 24 months to develop where there is a council offer with no title deeds we will repossess those stands,” said Clr Madzoke.

The Kwekwe mayor also advised beneficiaries of the Mbizo 21 and 22 stands to start construction of houses in the area so as to ease the city’s housing waiting list which presently stands at about 16 000.

Meanwhile, the local authority says it is finding it difficult to evict people residing in Mbizo 11 which is reserved for home industries and not suitable for human habitation.

A full council meeting resolution for the removal of the residents in October 2015 has not been implemented by the council.

The mayor said enforcement of the resolution has been made difficult because some of the owners of the properties in question cannot be located.

“It is difficult for us to enforce the resolution because the majority of the people who are living there are tenants and not the owners of those structures.

“It is now difficult for us to evict people there because the owners of the buildings cannot be located and at the moment our hands are tied,” he said.

Mbizo 11 is not serviced and has no proper sewer reticulation facilities which has raised fears of a disease outbreak if corrective measures are not taken.

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