Budiriro Houses Commissioned

By Farai Dauramanzi

The country on Thursday 16 October 2014 held belated celebrations to commemorate the World Habitat Day. This year’s celebrations ran under the theme Voices from the slums.

City of Harare (CoH) took the opportunity of the celebrations to commission houses that have been completed so far under the CABS Budiriro housing project.

The CABS/CoH housing project aims to build 3201 low cost housing units in Budiriro. The guest of honour at the celebrations Dr Ignatius Chombo the minister of local government, public works and national housing said that 2434 core houses have been completed so far under the project.

“This year’s theme is, Voices from the slums, and being such, the day is intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of human habitat… I would like to underscore the need to plan our cities well because unplanned urban expansion leads to chaotic development and the sprouting of slums and squatter settlements,” said Dr Chombo.

Over the years the country has battled to provide accommodation to the populace which has led to massive illegal land developments in Harare and Chitungwiza. The two cities are battling to demolish illegal constructions but failing due to the shortage of low cost houses.

The country’s housing backlog currently stands at an estimated 1,25 million and government has put in place a housing delivery strategy under the country’s ZimAsset economic blueprint to construct 313 368 houses countrywide by 2018.

Speaking at the same function, the town clerk for Harare Dr Tendai Mahachi who is faced with an uphill task of reducing the City’s 500 000 housing backlog said that Harare is now working hard to expedite the processing and approval of building plans.

“Our goal, working with all our partners is to reduce the number of slum dwellers in Harare and afford them decent lifestyles that conform to our vision of becoming a world class city by 2025. We (also) have an on-going slum upgrading project in Dzivarasekwa Extension where over 480 families are benefiting,” said Dr Mahachi.

Harare is expected to build 105 935 houses by 2018 under the ZimAsset program. Bulawayo is expected to provide 15 100 housing units to home seekers with Masvingo expected to add 20 269 to its existing housing list by 2018.

Matebeleland North and South provinces are expected to reduce their housing backlogs by 28 772 and 12 500 respectively. Manicaland province is earmarked to build 21 830 with Midlands province expected to construct 56 760 housing units. Mashonaland East, Central and West provinces are also expected to provide 11 776, 16 607 and 23 819 housing units respectively under the ZimAsset’s 2018 target.

However, many doubts have been raised on the attainability of the ZimAsset housing target due to lack of funding. Government and councils seem to have handed over the duty of housing provision to private land developers and co-operatives.

Calls have been made for the government to provide low cost houses as private land developers and co-operatives have been accused of charging exorbitant prices that are beyond the reach of poor home seekers who constitute the majority on the housing backlog.