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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
HUNDREDS of Mutare residents will soon start benefiting from the Julius Marange Housing Trust project in Dangamvura, Mutare, where servicing of stands is already underway. The new project has 344 residential stands measuring between 300 to 800 square metres and the housing trust is taking the necessary measures to develop the land as soon as sewer and water reticulation systems are put in place.

Speaking at belated commemorations of World Habitat Day in Mutare last week, Julius Marange Housing Trust secretary Mrs Tatenda Pfigu said the project was targeting mostly low-income earners who have been on the housing waiting lists of the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Mutare City Council as well as civil servants.

“It is our intention as Julius Marange Housing Trust to come up with as many housing projects as possible in Manicaland Province and other provinces across the country so that we address the housing needs of most people,” she said. She said sewer systems would be in place in two weeks, paving way for water reticulation work.

“We had targeted April 2018 to complete developing this land, but since the rainy season is almost upon us, we have moved that to September 2018. We started road paving and now we have done sewer trenching and bedding. Sewer installation is at 50 percent complete and we expect to be done in two weeks time and then start on water reticulation,” Mrs Pfigu added. She said the housing trust had 175 active members, while many others were on the waiting list. In line with Government’s policy which prohibits the occupation of unserviced land, Mrs Pfigu said beneficiaries would only be allowed to erect structures once the land has been fully serviced.

JRHT chairman, Mr Julius Mapingure, said the trust had achieved tremendous since 2016 when they were given their development permit by the Ministry of Local Government. He reiterated the importance of affordable housing to all Manicaland residents in order to achieve the Zim-Asset goals.

“Some of our people have grown old while living in squalor, but we want to change that. We want everyone to get a stand they can afford so that we can help Government achieve housing targets in the least possible time,” he said. He said the trust was also committed to Government’s idea of constructing high rise flats which accommodate more people. Julius Marange Housing Trust was allocated the land in Dangamvura by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing in April 2015.