Zimpapers Logo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]

A NEW “smart city” project is set to take shape in Nkenyane area in Ward 14, about 20km north of Bulawayo in Bubi, Matabeleland North Province – setting the stage for accelerated modernisation of the rural district through enhanced infrastructure development and investment attractiveness.

The proposal has been submitted to the Government for Cabinet approval with three big corporates, keen to secure land for building modern houses and a shopping mall, endorsing the initiative.

It is hoped that once the project takes shape, it would help decongest and ease accommodation shortages in Bulawayo Province as some home-seekers would opt to invest in Bubi given its proximity to the city. 

The smart city development model has become popular across the globe given its perceived benefits as a viable business strategy that creates an urban environment that results in high quality of life to citizens while generating higher economic gains. By leveraging information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve operational efficiencies, and adoption of climate friendly practices, smart cities are believed to be a model for sustainable development as they foster efficiency provision and sharing of information with the public, thereby guaranteeing a better quality of services and improved livelihoods.

In line with Vision 2030 of creating an upper middle-income economy, the smart city model is a deliberate response to the need for sustainable human development requirements, Bubi Rural District Council chief executive officer, Dr Partson Mlilo, said in an interview. He noted that the proposed smart city will be built on 1 300-hectares of land which has been secured through a joint venture agreement with some local farm owners. This has been necessitated by the unavailability of land for further expansion at Inyathi Business Centre where the local authority’s offices are headquartered. 

Dr Mlilo said the council has registered an increase in the demand for housing, now with nearly 2 000 people on its waiting list.

At the moment Inyathi District Service Centre has 1 203 stands inclusive of the high and low density and commercial. 

He said their waiting list has 1 997 of which 867 are for the low density, 600 for the high density and 530 for the business centre.

“Council has been struggling with unavailability of land for expansion of Inyathi District Service Centre to accommodate population increase. This has negatively affected plans to expand infrastructure, services, as well as more land-uses, which are necessary to improve service delivery and facilitate the road to achieving a middle-income economy by 2030,” said Dr Mlilo.

“This has pushed the need to actively pursue the development of a smart city as part of the Vision 2030 initiative. Council, therefore, approached private farm owners with a proposal to sign a joint venture agreement and develop a smart city.”

Dr Mlilo said the proposal involves plans to build the smart city to leverage on technology and create a modern urban centre with emphasis on the need for innovative infrastructure to support sustainable growth beyond the mining-dependent economy. 

He said their aim is to develop beyond the traditional growth point into a modern, technologically advanced urban centre that enhances operational efficiency, public service delivery, and citizen welfare through information communication technologies.

“This will address urban challenges and improve overall quality of life for the city’s inhabitants,” said Dr Mlilo.

He revealed that a big financial company with a footprint in the construction of shopping malls, has already expressed interest in investing in the project while a local mining giant has pledged to build 400 residential houses with an insurance company and Government departments undertaking to build 300 and 200 houses respectively.

“We will also have a special package for civil servants where they will be paying through their Salary Services Bureau (SSB). We are naturally excited about the project and have already briefed the responsible ministry, which is the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works,” said Dr Mlilo.

The project is part of the Zimbabwe National Human Settlement Plan (ZNHSP), which was developed by the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities after noting deficiencies in the National Housing Policy of 2012, and seeks to contribute to the country’s Vision 2030.

The proposed smart city project resonates well with President Mnangagwa’s “A call to action, no compromise to service delivery” blue-print for local authorities, which was launched in November last year.

During the launch, President Mnangagwa directed local authorities to come up with developmental master plans, giving them June 30 deadlines and reports suggested that most local authorities were able to meet the deadlines and now need to implement those plans.

“We were able to meet the June 30 deadline as directed by the President. The smart city will also decongest Bulawayo as some of its residents on the waiting list will be absolved by us,” said Dr Mlilo.