Gweru Council in ambitious up-market infrastructure project
STEPHEN CHADENGA
Gweru City Council has laid out plans to develop at least 84 commercial stands into up-market buildings at the proposed new Central Business District (CBD) expansion site between Midlands
Private Hospital and Fairmile Hotel along the Bulawayo highway, Business Times reports.
In his recent end of 2022 state of the city address, mayor Hamutendi Kombayi said Local Government minister July Moyo has already approved the layout plan for the new CBD expansion.
“The next new CBD will see developments such as High Court, transport interchange, up-market malls and an office park among others,” Kombayi said.
He revealed that the government had also approved the relocation of the contentious Gweru Sports Club to a new site.
“The next step is developing and capacitating the sports grounds relocation site into a state of the art establishment,” Kombayi said.
The displacement of the sporting facility is however likely to see intensification of the fight between sports interest stakeholders and the local authority.
Last year, residents petitioned the council to reverse the decision to shift the sporting facility to another place.
The residents argued that without the sporting centre, the Midlands capital would have lost its only historic sports club which is over a century old.
The proposed disposal of the sport club has also drawn widespread condemnation from the Sports and Recreation Commission among other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Kombayi said the city continued to face service delivery challenges, especially the provision of water and rehabilitation of roads.
He said the city was pumping 37 megalitres against a daily demand of 120 megalitres.
The council boss also said at least 30% of the city road network was trafficable while 72%( of the roads) was not tarred.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director Cornelia Selipiwe however said council had failed in every facet of service delivery.
“Our local authority has failed us in terms of service provision, failed us in sewer and water reticulation, failed us in traffic lights, roads rehabilitation among other service delivery issues.”
He said residents should not expect any improvement especially this “politicking year” ahead of the general elections.
