BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) yesterday unveiled 704 housing stands, part of the 1306 stands that the local authority will be releasing soon as it battles to reduce the city’s housing waiting list.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
During the commissioning of the fully serviced stands in Pumula South high-density suburb, Bulawayo mayor Martin Moyo said the city’s housing waiting list was currently standing at 110 000.
“Today, we are presenting 704 fully serviced stands, installed with sewer reticulation, water reticulation and with roads. This feat, by no means, solves all the housing problems bedevilling the city, but it is a sure step in the right direction.
“For the past two years or since the purchase date, the beneficiaries have waited patiently to see this day and today, they have the go-ahead to start building. Their purchased land is ready for development and occupation,” Moyo said.
He said roads had been constructed, while sewer and water reticulation infrastructure complete with underground connection pipes had been installed at the site at a cost of $1,3 million.
“City of Bulawayo engineers and the contractor have worked tirelessly to ensure that the area is serviced with water, sewer and roads. The project has reached a functional level at which people can safely occupy and use the facilities,” Moyo said.
He said the 704 stands unveiled in Pumula South were part of the 1 306 that the local authority would be releasing soon in other suburbs such as Magwegwe North, Magwegwe West, Emganwini, Tshabalala Extension and Southworld.
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Moyo added the local authority was committed to issuing housing stands to reduce the 110 000 backlog, but indicated the programme continued to be affected by the harsh economic climate, resulting in council failing to finance the servicing of available land for housing.
“The provision of housing has been faced with a number of challenges, which include the harsh economic environment. As the City of Bulawayo, we have not been able to meet the demand for housing from the residents, which has resulted in a housing waiting list of 110 000 people to date,” he said.
“Costs for servicing have become a major hindrance for the city in providing low-cost housing for the residents. While there have been various solutions towards ensuring housing provision, I am glad to say that council’s decision to implement the pre-sell scheme has yielded positive results.”
