STAFF WRITER
THE Hwange Local Board (HLB) has said it has commenced the installation of water and sewer reticulation systems to 508 residential stands and housing units in Empumalanga Phase 4 housing project.
The new development comes after the housing project suffered a still birth owing to delays in stands servicing, in what the local authority described as a “legacy issue.”
However, the delay has left the local authority in a head on collision with residents who due to the delay decided to proceed to illegally build their structures on the non-serviced land.
“It is however, worth noting that the delay in installation of these reticulation systems is a legacy issue dating back to 2009, when the local authority’s previous administration engaged a contractor who somehow failed to service the residential stands in question.
“As it stands council has not offered anyone an occupation certificate for any of the houses, since the area has no services. Those that have started residing in the area are doing so illegally,” said town secretary Ndumiso Mdlalose.
He added: “While council is obliged to provide the services and has taken long to do so, it does not condone illegal occupation of houses. Since Phase 4 is a high density area it is also illegal for anyone to put up a septic tank, those that have done so have not been authorised by council.”
Mdlalose said upon assuming office the current administration committed to the restoration of confidence between the local authority and residents at large.
He said as a result, the local authority applied and received funding through the Public Sector Investment Programme, which it channelled towards the construction of a road network in the un-serviced area.
“Last year, HLB started the process of installing the water reticulation system using its own financial resources and to date it has connected over 200 stands. HLB anticipates to complete this project in the first-half of the year. Thereafter the installation of the sewer reticulation system is expected to start with council having set a target of completing it before the end of the year,” Mdlalose said adding that they have since included the project in council’s 2021 budget.
Meanwhile, the local authority said its other housing project, Empumalanga West has since been handed over to the ministry of Housing and Social Amenities.
“The project was a council initiative deliberately designed to suit low income earners whereby beneficiaries were supposed to contribute towards the servicing of their stands. However, the majority of beneficiaries failed to meet the down payments towards the purchase and servicing cost of their stands.In 2016, HLB courted a financial partner in the form of Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ), which took over the project and adopted all the paid up beneficiaries,” Mdlalose further explained.
The project targets to provide 2 145 fully serviced housing stands with IDBZ having been expected to provide roads, street lighting, water and sewer infrastructure as well as constructing a water reservoir.
However, two years ago contractors contracted by IDBZ pulled out from site due to a change in the monetary policy when the exchange rate between the United States dollar and RTGS was equated.
The project remains incomplete and IDBZ has since handed over the project to the Ministry of Housing and Social Amenities.
HLB has since signed a Deed of Novation to that effect, meaning that the local authority only comes in as the owners of the land. The responsibility to service has been taken over by the Ministry.
