MUTARE- Destiny of Africa Network a religious social development organization has expanded its low-income housing scheme in Manicaland following the recent announcement of a new affordable housing project in Makoni district.
Destiny chairperson for Manicaland projects, Mr. Wilson Masokowere confirmed the development and revealed that the Nyazura Housing Project is part of a strategic development plan to extend low-income housing to ordinary citizens across the province.
He said surveying and preliminary works at the 27-hectare site, which had been held up delayed by the government, will now commence in earnest following approval by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing.
Masokowere revealed that the total number of housing units to be developed on the site will be close to five hundred units, including residential, flats, commercial and institutional stands.
“We are finally able to roll out our Nyazura project after the delays caused by the Covid lockdown, which meant our project plans had to be approved at the national level instead of the provincial office. The project had been delayed by the Covid 19 pandemic.
“We expect that before year-end the groundbreaking will take place as we are assured of progress and commencement of work, to ensure that all Zimbabweans can have access to affordable and decent housing.
“In total we have around 435 housing stands for the project in Nyazura approved for development and surveying and assessment as the plan layout is being processed,” he said.
He added, “So we will have commercial units, flats, residential and institutions are also part of the project as the surveying work will commence in the meantime. So in terms of our strategic development plans, we are on course for the Nyazura project.”
On the outlook, Masokowere said Destiny was well poised to keep providing affordable housing solutions for its members and offering an opportunity for ordinary Zimbabweans to also join.
He said the organization has not lost its ethos and still thrives on providing access to affordable housing solutions for all sectors, including informal traders, vendors, skilled labor, and civil servants.
“Destiny has always been about empowering the community and through our people-centered approach, we also chip in and assist social. We are even running a targeted scholarship for girls and other social interventions for people with disabilities.
“We are expanding and this is a positive trajectory as we now have a permit for our project which is a positive sign. We keep on looking for investment opportunities and apart from the Nyazura project we have also acquired pieces of land around Mutare and very soon we be launching an exciting housing project,” he said.
Destiny of Africa Network was founded by outspoken cleric Reverend Obadiah Musindo, who openly supports ZANU PF as a membership-based housing cooperative for low-income earners and the largely informally employed citizenry.
The organization is running an education scholarship and incubation plan, with bursaries for the less privileged from primary to secondary level. It also extends an in-house working opportunity for students at the tertiary level to raise their fees while attending block release or distance learning.
Seven university students currently benefitting under the social scholarship program targeted mostly for less privileged, while there are three at primary and one at secondary level, while the cooperative has also constructed houses for the less privileged members of our society under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
