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From George Maponga in MASVINGO

Masvingo’S largest private housing development company, December Twelve (Pvt) Ltd, has expressed readiness to partner Government in the development of over 1 000 housing stands in the city. The stands will be allocated to youths in the city under the ongoing Government programme to offer affordable houses countrywide.Government, through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, has already started allocating land for the development of housing stands in major cities and towns in the country to benefit youths.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere recently revealed that pegging of land for youths housing in Masvingo was already underway.

He said the ground-breaking ceremony was expected soon at Clipsham Farm along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.

December Twelve (Pvt) Ltd director Cde Wellington Mahwende yesterday said his company was ready to use its vast experience in housing land development to help Government meet its Zim-Asset goals by providing affordable housing to young people in Masvingo.

Cde Mahwende hailed Government for strides made in easing homelessness in towns and cities countrywide over the past decade.

“We stand ready to use our vast expertise to assist Government, through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing in the development of land to build houses for youths in Masvingo City,’’ he said.

“We are happy that pegging of the land earmarked for the project has already started and we stand ready to also come in and play a role so that land allocated for the housing project is speedily developed to make sure that beneficiaries start building their houses in a serviced area with water and sewer reticulation system in place,’’ he added.

The December Twelve director said Government should be applauded for helping to drastically reduce runaway housing backlogs in major towns and cities saying the private sector was also supposed to assist the State.

December Twelve has already serviced land in Masvingo’s Victoria Ranch where over 5 000 housing units are at various stages of completion.

The beneficiaries of the firm’s residential stands have been mainly civil servants, members of the security forces a nd low-income earners.

Before the coming on board of private land developers led by Cde Mahwende, who is also chairman of Masvingo Housing Consortium, the country’s oldest town had nearly 20 000 people on the housing waiting list.

However, the figure has since gone down by over half amid indications the backlog will further go down to less than 5 000 over the next five years.

Masvingo City Council recently came under fire from Minister Kasukuwere for allegedly trying to stifle plans to roll out the youths housing programme under the pretext that there was no more land for housing.

Minister Kasukuwere hit out at the MDC-T-dominated Masvingo City Council led by Councillor Hubert Fidze, saying plans by council to block the youths housing programme were not only futile, but showed policy dearth within the opposition MDC-T party.