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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) is working on plans to complete construction of 64 garden flats in Beitbridge, part of housing projects under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme (BRP) initiated in 2007. An acute shortage of funds has seen the BRP project progressing at a snail’s pace. An estimated $2 million is needed to finish the 64 garden flats, which are 50 percent complete.

In an interview on Tuesday, NSSA general manger, James Matiza, said they had sent a proposal to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing over the issue.

He said the project was being carried out under the organisation’s housing development initiative.

“The flats are 50 percent complete and we’re very hopeful that we’ll be able to finish the outstanding civil works as we accelerate our efforts to ease accommodation shortages in Beitbridge.

“We’re more than ready to take over the project and are only waiting for a positive response from the Ministry of Local Government (Public Works and National Housing),” he said.

Matiza said they had made it a priority that 10 percent of their annual budget goes to housing development.

He said the houses would be leased to Nssa employees, civil servants and staff at the Rainbow Beitbridge Hotel and other interested parties.

He said the decision to take over the housing project was arrived at after they completed the construction of a 140-room three star hotel, which is being leased to the Rainbow Tourism Group.

The hotel was constructed under the auspices of the National Economic Priority Development Programme launched in Beitbridge by President Mugabe in 2007.

The BRP included the construction of the 140-room hotel by NSSA, 250 core houses, 24 F14 houses, 64 garden flats, a shopping mall, a new secondary school, a new bus terminus and the dualisation of the road from the border post, among other civil works.

The projects are at various construction stages and the government has been struggling to complete them due to lack of funds.

The completion of the redevelopment projects had initially been transferred to the New Limpopo Bridge by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, but the contract was later cancelled after their contractor performed dismally.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Engineer George Mlilo, was not available to comment on the housing project.