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From George Maponga in Masvingo
Chiredzi is on course to attain municipal status by 2023 with the town recently getting 750 hectares from the Government for the town’s expansion.

Feasibility studies on the land, which is part of Buffalo Range Farm, is currently underway with servicing expected to start soon.

The sugar cane growing town, perched in the heart of cane fields at Hippo Valley Estates, had virtually run out of expansion land prompting Government to intervene.

Chiredzi is eyeing municipal status in two years’ time in a landmark development that will propel it to the level of Masvingo City, the only other urban settlement in the province with such standing.

Other than Chiredzi and Masvingo, Mpandawana Town in Gutu is also eyeing municipal status.

Chiredzi Town Council Secretary Mr Charles Muchatukwa yesterday confirmed that the local authority had embarked on a feasibility study to create ground for serving land availed by Government for the town’s expansion.

“Our goal is to attain municipal status by 2023 and we are currently carrying out feasibility studies on the 750ha that we for our expansion thrust so that servicing of the land can start as a precursor to sale of the stands both commercial, residential and industrial,” said Mr Muchatukwa.

He paid tribute to Government for making available the land at Buffalo Range saying this will open floodgates of investment in Chiredzi.

“The land will go a long way in easing the housing backlog and quench the appetite of those eyeing industrial and commercial stands. This development dovetails with our vision to attain municipal status by 2023,” said Mr Muchatukwa.

The real estate portfolio in Chiredzi is expected to gain more traction if the 750ha availed by Government is serviced for housing and commercial purposes.

Interest in real estate in Chiredzi has been growing especially after sugar maker Tongaat Huletts Zimbabwe showed interest in bankrolling a multi-million housing development project targeting mainly its employees.

Tongaat is arguably Zimbabwe’s largest private employer with over 20 000 private direct and contract employees.

Demand for housing land has been growing rapidly in Chiredzi driven by over 1000 indigenous commercial sugar cane farmers who benefited from the land reform programme by getting plots at Hippo Valley, Triangle and Mkwasine estates.