Zimpapers Logo

Ms Gwatipedza

Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
Gweru City Council has started work on its $5 million Mkoba 21 housing project, with earth moving machinery now on site and clearing land. The new housing project has over 5 000 residential stands and is expected to reduce the city‘s housing backlog, which stands at 25 000.

In an interview yesterday, Gweru City Town Clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza confirmed work had started on the new suburb. She said the local authority expected to have completed land clearance and roads development by the end of next month.

“Work on the new housing project has started and on Friday (tomorrow) we will be touring the site with engineers so that they assess work that needs to be done, as well as giving us timelines as to when land development and the laying of sewer and water pipes will be completed,” she said.

Ms Gwatipedza said the project was being undertaken by the council with no independent contractors.

“It is a council project,” she said. “What we have done is to hire some of the equipment that we do not have, but otherwise we are doing it alone.”

Ms Gwatipedza said council prioritised service delivery, as well as reducing the housing backlog in its 2018 budget with at least five percent of its total budget committed to developing new residential areas.

“We have set aside $5 million for our new housing projects, which also include Randolph and Infills with Mkoba 21 being our major project for the year 2018,” she said.

According to Gweru City Council’s 2018 budget, the sale of stands from its new housing projects is expected to boost revenue.

“The sale of stands in Mkoba 21 is expected generate the much needed revenue and this is why we are prioritising it,” she said.