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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Norton Town Council has praised the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Housing Association (ZAHA)’s Galloway housing project, saying it is impressed with the level of development and how it is being handled, compared to other similar developments of its magnitude.

Council chairperson, Councillor Precious Mufahore, said contrary to claims by Norton legislator Temba Mliswa that ZAHA, owned by Dr Killer Zivhu, had swindled home seekers, they were constantly monitoring progress at the project and everything was being done according to the rules and regulations.

Cll Mufahore said her council was happy that residents now had access to water, electricity as well as descent roads at the project, a clear sign that the project was being handled expertly.

“If you visit the project, you will notice that there is development, people are building nice houses and there is sound infrastructure,” she said. “The suburb has access to water and electricity and as we speak they are further improving the road network, which is already in good shape.

“Council always holds meetings with ZAHA to monitor progress and the officials are always forthcoming. By denigrating the project, Mr Mliswa is seeking cheap mileage. He is doing all he can to canvass for support even at the expense of good projects.”

Dr Zivhu’s organisation is developing housing stands in the Galloway part of Norton, where a number of beneficiaries have already built houses on stands going up to more than 2 000 square metres.

Mr Mliswa gave interviews to online publications last week in which he accused Dr Zivhu of duping home seekers, but did not provide evidence to back his utterances.

In response, Dr Zivhu said in the case of Galloway, his association availed affordable stands in an effort to ensure people had access to housing in line with provisions of the Zim-Asset economic blueprint.

The stands were being sold at $5 per square metre, when in most areas such kind of land starts being sold around $18 per square metre.

Most residents got stands for $10 000 and are already constructing mansions in the suburb.

At least 1 500 people have benefited from the stands, which are the same size as those found in most low-density suburbs.

Dr Zivhu said they were almost completing the servicing of the stands, with development having reached the stage where beneficiaries were allowed to start building by the council.

“ZAHA is a trust and our mandate is to help people, not to make profit,” said Dr Zivhu. “That is why we have been helping people all over, sending them to school, sending them to hospitals outside the country for complicated ailments.

“We have also built houses for the elderly and widows. This is why we have been availing these residential stands at such a low cost.”

Dr Zivhu accused Mr Mliswa of trying to arm twist ZAHA in a bid to make money out of the project since “he is broke” and needs money to campaign for the 2018 elections.