Takunda Maodza Manicaland Bureau
LAY-OUT plans for areas where victims of Cyclone Idai will be relocated are out,  showing Government’s intention to urbanise rural areas in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.

Three farms have so far been identified for the relocation of victims of the cyclone, namely Greenmount, the Flats and Nedziwa.

“At the Flats and Greenmount, the planning process was completed,” said Acting Manicaland Provincial Development Coordinator, Mr Edgars Seenza. “Lay out plans are out. Greenmount will have 1 333 stands. Three of them are flats, 46 commercial stands and 32 industrial.

“We are moving towards 2030 (urbanisation). We cannot continue to “ruralise”. We have to urbanise. All settlements are going to be urban.

“Nedziwa has been completed. It has 633 residential, 18 commercial, nine institutional, 12 industrial (stands). Layout plans were completed. In terms of shelter, we are now mobilising funds and Government is assisting in mobilising funds.”

Mr Seenza said the World Bank and African Development Bank pledged to assist.

“They have pledged to assist in the construction of houses, among other areas of intervention in Chimanimani and Chipinge,” said Mr Seenza.

He allayed fears the onset of the rainy season will affect hundreds of victims of the cyclone still living in tents.

“People do not understand the planning cycle for disasters,” said Mr Seenza. “There are three phases — the first phase is the emergency phase where you put people in tents. The second phase you prepare what we call transitional accommodation. The third phase is permanent structures.

“We are now moving into transition, and we have already started identifying areas where some of those in the tents can be relocated. We are also going to prepare prefabricated houses. We have someone who is interested in assisting us, he has technology (for prefabricated houses) but no funding.

“This is where banks will chip in. We want the prefab houses done before the rains because they are easy to build. They are semi-permanent. They are transitional. But we are going to consider in the construction of those prefab structures various factors, including their safety.”

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