TENDAI BHEBE
Residents of Victoria Falls have raised concern over expensive stands the council is selling saying the majority of home seekers cannot afford to pay the high amount the local authority was demanding.
Council had advertised that it would start vetting home seekers last week with beneficiaries expected to pay US$3 000 and US$5 000 deposit for high-density and medium-density stands respectively with the remaining balance of US$5 000 and US$7 000 payable over a period of 18 months.
Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chairperson Kelvin Moyo said residents have engaged the association saying the stands were expensive.
“Most of them are in the hospitality sector that involves hotels, lodges and also the travel companies. And the other one, most of them are in the vending business,” Moyo said.
Victoria Falls housing backlog is over 18 000.
Moyo said residents will not be able to meet the council’s deadline.
“We are sitting on a waiting list of plus or minus 18000 housing backlog and we have got the stands that are available for allocation are 450.
“The pricing model that has been advertised was such that the high density stands require someone to deposit a minimum of US$3000 and the balance being paid over 18 months,” he said.
“This is what the residents are saying that it is way above what the majority who are in fact in the waiting list and are the first time home seekers do not have that type of money.”
Contacted for a comment, the Victoria Falls City Council mayor Somvelo Dlamini said: “We are just getting into a meeting with the council members to discuss the next steps to take in addressing this issue. Please call me after two hours or so.”
