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The Rhodesia Herald, November 10, 1965  

ADDITIONAL African housing may be built at Mufakose. The Health, Housing and African Administration Committee of Salisbury City Council has accepted in principle a report proposing the construction of about 1 800 houses.   

The committee at its last meeting, decided to ask the Estates Committee to negotiate for the additional land, which is the remaining undeveloped extent of south of the Marimba River. 

It could accommodate about 1 700 houses, and nearby land another 800 or 900 when necessary, the report said.   

The estimated cost of buying the land and extending the main outfall sewer and water feeder is £45 000.  

The report recommended a first stage of 940 houses which would cost £293 000. This includes construction of houses at £202 000 (£215 each), plus sewerage, roads, drainage, street lighting and water.   

The report noted that there were 5 800 Africans on the council’s waiting list for houses, and at least 4 000 of the applicants earned less than £16 a month.   

With these wage figures, a home-ownership scheme was not practical, and the houses must instead be rented.   

It is the council’s policy to charge economic rentals unless the Government will make up any shortfall.   

In the opinion of the municipal team which wrote the report, the maximum a tenant could afford for rental and water charges would be about two ponds and 10 shillings, a month.   

It also noted that, after examining after all the costs, the monthly economic rental for the houses would be four pounds, four shillings and eight pence, including water.  

The two pounds and 10 shillings a month was an ideal or theoretical figure, Councillor FWW Bernard the past chairman of the committee said yesterday.  

The monthly rentals could be reduced by not including some administrative costs which did not strictly belong there. Also, the Government could make a grant. Salisbury’s rates could be raised to cover the costs, or African wages could be raised.  

LESSONS FOR TODAY  

 The growth of black townships like Mufakose in colonial Zimbabwe were influenced by the capital accumulation process.  

 Rural-urban migration led to population explosion in towns hence the demand for accommodation in high density areas.  

When townships were built, Council put in place revenue generators like beerhalls, which helped finance the construction of schools and clinics. The beerhalls were under the purview of City Marketing, later named Rufaro Marketing. Due to market forces and mismanagement, the majority of the beerhalls are now non-existent.  

  Demand for urban housing continues to grow, and this gave rise to land and water barons who swindle potential home seekers of their hard-earned cash.  

 Demand for housing has also meant that home seekers are no longer following proper procedures like land surveying, water, sewer, roads and lighting. This has resulted in most homes being flooded and/or blown away by strong winds. Drainage systems are non-existent in most residential areas.