The Gwanda Town Council has agreed to allow developer Forit Contracting (Pvt) Limited to renew its contract for the long-stalled Judds Farm housing project, raising hopes for progress after five years of inactivity.
The project, which began in 2015, remains a pipe dream for residents who paid between US$3,000 and US$11,000 for residential stands in low, medium, and high-density areas.
Frustrated by the lack of development, a group of concerned residents recently sought meetings with both the council and the developer.
On Tuesday, December 2, representatives of the homeseekers met with councillors, including Mayor Thulani Moyo, and officials from the town clerk’s and engineering departments.
This followed a meeting on November 7 between residents and Forit director Itai Madziyire.
According to a council meeting report dated December 2, councillors acknowledged communication breakdowns with Forit, which led to the developer not being invited.
The council's engineering section reported that Forit had been asked to service the stands within six months.
However, Forit proposed that if its contract is renewed, it would service over 300 stands within four months and the remaining 1,700-plus stands within 12 months.
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Councillors agreed to the proposal, with some noting that Forit's earlier delays were not deliberate, but resulted from difficulties in obtaining proper documentation.
They emphasised that any new agreement must be drafted by a lawyer to safeguard the council and residents' interests.
"It was agreed that Forit will be allowed to renew the contract and start servicing the stands under close monitoring to avoid past mistakes," the report stated.
Residents, however, expressed concern over the lack of a clear timeline for drafting and signing the new contract.
Given that most companies close for holidays around December 15, the process is expected to begin in the new year.
In the November 7 meeting, Madziyire explained that work could not resume until the contract was renewed.
He assured beneficiaries that the council had committed to fast-tracking the renewal, despite an earlier resolution to terminate Forit's involvement—a decision he said was made without Forit's knowledge and has since been reversed.
"Madziyire assured clients that once the council finalizes reversing the termination, Forit looks forward to signing a new contract before the end of 2025," the minutes noted.
The agreement between residents and Forit, overseen by Masawi and Partners lawyers, required an initial payment of US$1 000 before construction could begin.
Despite signed contracts and marked maps, no visible progress has been made since 2015.
Residents now await the formalization of the renewed contract, hoping it will finally bring the long-promised homes to fruition.
