Zimpapers Logo

Tinashe Makichi Property Reporter —
Aloe Enterprises, a local housing developer, has partnered an unnamed Italy-based construction firm, for the construction of low-cost housing in Mutare. Aloe Enterprises is looking at developing about 400 housing units in the border town.

The coming of the Italian property firm comes after a similar deal with a Dutch firm failed to materialise. Aloe Enterprises managing director Dr Nancy Saungweme told The Herald Property that an agreement has been reached, paving the way for development to resume.

“I am a land developer and I have been doing this for the past 25 years. In the past we used to do jobs concurrently, of developing the land and building the houses because there were building societies at that time.

“In my history as a property developer, I discovered that there are people who were interested in coming for joint ventures in the property market, either as a partnership in terms of equity or just venture partnerships.

“After the failure of the previous deal, we then engaged another Italian firm. Model houses have since been completed,” said Dr Saungweme.

She said the company realised that it can build houses using new technologies that are cost effective and environmentally friendly.

The houses are expected to cost around $15 000.

Aloe Enterprises is a wholly owned indigenous company incorporated in Zimbabwe since 1991.

In its early stages, the company focused on the waterproofing, tanking and asphalting before growing in leaps and bounds.

Dr Saungweme recently completed her Doctorate with Albersgate University in South Africa. Part of her thesis focused on social capital approach towards sectoral women’s empowerment.

She said one of the greatest tools at the disposal of women seeking empowerment is social capital.

“Social capital simply means the various networks of civic engagement. This includes alumni networks, sports clubs, church communities and even secret societies.

“Although not the first scholar to discuss the issue of social capital, Robert Putnam is the first one to make international headlines on the subject of social capital,” said Dr Saungweme in her thesis.

She said this led to his appointment to World Bank positions based on the merit of his findings. The first women who broke the ice regards gender emancipation efforts faced a lot of challenges, as would be expected in any situation of protracted structured forms of oppression.

“Today women cannot say we have won the gender battle, but there are key milestones which we as women have managed to achieve and these are worth noting.

“Among them is the fact that we now have a huge number of women in academics, business and even politics,” she said.

She also focused on knowledge based strategy towards women’s empowerment in the construction Industry

Dr Saungweme noted that when one considers various formidable challenges facing women when trying to advance in the construction industry, a good starting point would be to look at systematic interventions that can generate a long lasting momentum.

“Today we operate on what is known internationally as the 21stcentury global knowledge economy.

“Knowledge has become integrated among the most vital factors that are necessary for production to take place,” said Dr Saungweme.

She added that various women’s organisations work largely in pursuit of their own agendas in the broader scheme of gender emancipation.

However, a purposive mobilisation of the various prominent women in positions of leadership and the various dedicated gender empowerment organisations will constitute a powerful social capital framework which can be highly formidable.

She said at a global level there are organisations like UNIFEM while locally, the most relevant is Ministry of Women’s Affairs, e Women’s University on Africa and Women’s Coalition in Zimbabwe, among others.