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Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Business Reporter

THE National Building Society (NBS) aims to build 2 000 houses in the Matabeleland region over a period of five years through a partnership with private players, which will help  reduce the housing backlog.

The financial services institution is a subsidiary of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and wants to take advantage of Government plans to deliver 22 000 housing units in the region.

On Friday, the bank engaged building contractors and local authorities in Bulawayo to unpack its housing delivery thrust.

Earlier NBS had said the Matabeleland region has appealing building opportunities that it would exploit.

Areas of interest include Plumtree town; there is a proposed Getjeng-Bophelong partnership, while in Bulawayo the building society has projects in Rangemore (Presidential Housing Scheme), Mahatshula East under Enock Construction, and Mahatshula North Flats undertaken by Bulawayo City Council. In Plumtree, the bank is expected to deliver 600 housing units from 710 hectares.

“In Matabeleland, we have various housing schemes that we are operating on a private-public partnership (PPP) arrangement and some other properties that we have acquired from local authorities, especially in Plumtree,” said NBS chief housing officer, Engineer Peter Robert Mukome.

“We are pursuing 150 stands, which we are developing. We have land measuring 710 hectares, which we are exploring in Plumtree to deliver 600 houses in the first phase under PPP.

“In Bulawayo, the housing waiting list is huge, we have various proposals with the local authority to deliver low-cost houses that are affordable to the residents.”

Mr Mukome said the bank’s housing delivery thrust feeds into Government’s National Development Strategy 1 under the housing cluster.

“With a market space of around 22 000 housing units targeted to be delivered in Matabeleland region within the next five years, as a bank, we are aiming to deliver a share of around 2 000 houses.”

Local authorities and land developers were keen to know whether the bank has plans to fund the construction of residential flats.

Access to affordable and decent accommodation is a critical component of the Government’s vision to create an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

The launch of the Zimbabwe National Human Settlement Policy by President Mnangagwa set the tone for the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities to operationalise the policy in partnership with the private sector.

Zimbabwe has a national housing backlog of around 1,5 million units and targets to deliver 1,2 million units by 2030 and part of the vision is to change the face of Zimbabwe by building modern houses that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The Government has set a target to deliver 22 000 housing units by 2025 leveraging on partnerships with the private sector and new technologies in the human settlement sector.

Bulawayo City Council principal town planner, Sithabisiwe Ncube, said the local authority is keen on partnering with private developers and implored the bank to also avail funding to the small to medium enterprise sector.

“As council, we have engaged private developers to say anyone who has the capacity should partner us. Residents also need a full package when it comes to constructing houses. The bank should also think beyond housing provision,” she said.

“The house owners need sustenance, they need to pay rates for the houses as such we ask the bank to consider funding the small to medium sector.”