Govt lures private sector in housing

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO

Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Clemence Chiduwa, has urged the private sector to partner the government in the delivery of houses across the country.

Government is battling a huge housing deficit, estimated to be more than 1.5m housing units.

Chiduwa made the appeal at the stakeholder meeting in Bulawayo on Friday.

“This is not going to be a government thing alone. The government on its own there is no way it is going to deliver on all those houses.

“ What is needed is for the government, private sector and the cooperatives to work together to deliver on this mandate where we are saying housing for all, “he said.

Land barons have been taking advantage of the huge housing deficits fleecing desperate home seekers.

Recently, the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Daniel Garwe warned land barons who were parcelling out lands without following due processes.

The land barons, recently allegedly invaded Ntabazinduna in Matabeleland North, illegally selling residential stands to desperate land seekers including those based outside the country.

This was prevalent in ward 6 which covers Nhlambabaloyi, Madlelenyoni, Mputshini and Mbelesini areas.

The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has been urging local authorities to adopt the Bulawayo City Council’s co-operative model when allocating stands in a bid to reduce the issue of land barons in the country.

Business and cooperative development officer, Clayton Mharadzano said Bulawayo doesn’t have cases of land barons.

“Bulawayo cooperative model has remained intact not that we want to praise ourselves but this model is user friendly in terms of managing issues to do with land barons.