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Eng Mlilo

Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
Government has embarked on a massive national housing project that will see it demolish all its urban houses countrywide and erect four-storey buildings, as it battles to reduce the ballooning housing back-log standing at 1,25 million.

Addressing private land developers in Gweru yesterday, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing secretary, Engineer George Mlilo said replacing all Government houses with high rising buildings was now policy.

“There has been a problem of land versus an increasing housing backlog which now stands at 1,25 million, he said. To address this, the ministry has embarked on a national housing programme, which we see all Government apartments housing civil servants being destroyed and replaced by four-storey buildings that will accommodate more people on a small piece of land.”

Eng Mlilo said Government had started rolling out the four-storey housing programme and had set a target of constructing buildings to accommodate 80 000 households nationwide in the next 100 days.

He said his ministry had since identified Government houses for the pioneer project starting with Highfield in Harare. “We will start with Highfield in Harare where civil servants houses will be demolished to pave way for the construction of a four storey building which will accommodate at least 30 homes each, said Eng Mlilo. We have already advertised and the project is ready to roll.”

Eng Mlilo said the project would be implemented in all the country’s provincial cities before it cascades to other towns and cities. “After the Highfield project, we will go to every province constructing these four storey buildings in Masvingo, Mutare etc, he said. The buildings will accommodate at least 16 households in each province. The programme will then be extended to all the country’s towns and cities.”

Eng Mlilo said land barons were taking advantage of the country’s growing housing backlog to fleece desperate home seekers tired of being on the waiting list.

He said Midlands province had set a good record of not having land barons, as the Government was partnering private land developers, led by River Valley Properties.

Eng Mlilo said Harare was the worst affected where land barons have been pitching up flags on open spaces to fleece home seekers.

Midlands is exceptional, there are no land barons. The nine private land developers led by River Valley Properties must be applauded for partnering Government and doing extremely well.”