Published on The Chronicle
BCC in partnership with Enock Construction and Earth Moving Equipment last Friday commissioned 115 fully serviced stands in Mahatshula East suburb as part of phase two of the project.
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) in partnership with Enock Construction and Earth Moving Equipment last Friday commissioned 115 fully serviced stands as part of the phase two Mahatshula East housing project aimed at alleviating the city’s housing backlog.
The commissioning of stands marks a significant milestone in addressing the housing needs of the community and enhancing sustainable urban development in the region.
Speaking at the commissioning event, city mayor, Councillor David Coltart said the partnership between BCC and Enock Construction and Earth Moving Equipment has delivered quality housing solutions to the residents.
“We are always happy when we partner with private developers to commission the stands as they are a testament that the city’s initiative of public private partnerships in housing development is yielding good results,” he said.
“The Mahatshula East stands are being serviced under an arrangement and we were here last year for the commissioning of the first phase.” Clr Coltart said the first phase of 100 stands and 255 stands have been commissioned.
“It is our hope in the near future that we will be together as we commission the third and fourth phases of the 670 residential stands for Mahatshula East suburb in partnership with Enock Construction and Equipment Hire Pvt Ltd,” he said.
Clr Coltart said the city’s vision was to provide quality housing to its citizens as it strives to contribute to the quality of life of the residents and ensure satisfaction with the place of living.
“It’s because of this vision that we are focused on ensuring that in the provision of housing, we provide stands that are fully serviced with water, sewerage, roads and public lighting,” he said.
“In our quest for housing development and in light of the effects of climate change, we are now exploring new technologies that will increase the level of sustainability in the future of our housing projects.
“In projects such as these, we should make a deliberate effort to plant trees and green the areas to try and replace the ones that we destroyed in this process and even when you are now constructing your houses and becoming Mahatshula East residents, may I urge you to focus on greening the areas,” Clr Coltart said.
He said key to the city’s green initiative is the use of design solutions and innovative technologies that not only maintain the aesthetics of housing design but also balance with sustainability.
Clr Coltart said the focus is to now develop green building norms and regulations that guarantee sustainability of housing throughout its life cycle from design to construction and operation.
“In this ,we urge you to partner with us as residents in combining conventional architecture and innovative technologies to obtain an optimal balance and ensure sustainable housing for the City of Bulawayo,” he said.
“In our mandate for housing development, we have to provide 3 000 units per year, which is not an easy feat in light of the harsh economic environment.
“The city strives to meet this target, which is a drop in the ocean, taking into consideration the ever ballooning housing waiting list, which stands at over 125 000.”
While the focus of the local authority and Government alike has been to provide support for low income housing, there is a need to have the necessary financial incentives to provide these, said Clr Coltart.
He said Bulawayo in the past has tried this through loans with sub market rates, however the unavailability of these poses a challenge.
“Despite these challenges, the City of Bulawayo notes that housing provision shows economic development and a reduction in poverty hence the need to try and match housing demand and housing delivery.
“While housing purchases are costly for individuals, they become the most valuable asset owned and also require housing financing for purchase and construction,” said Clr Coltart.
He said housing provision and the financial sector have a symbiotic relationship, which contributes to economic growth and also helps the financial sector grow.
“We need to develop sustainable housing for sustainable cities through the design of sustainable housing policies and practical actions. Our policies for the future of Bulawayo are focused on a holistic approach that recognises that housing is both physical and socio-cultural,” said Clr Coltart.
On how the local authority is dealing with the ballooning housing waiting list, BCC corporate communications manager, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said all residents registered in the housing waiting list can benefit from stand projects provided they meet the sale conditions of the development partner.
“We have engaged many development partners to help council expedite stands provision,” said Mrs Mpofu. She said in the case of the Mahatshula East stands, applicants are advised to approach the development partners’ offices, Enock Construction and Earth Moving Equipment, regarding stand prices and the sizes on offer.
“Generally, this is a Medium density housing area with stand sizes averaging 600m2,” she said. The 115 serviced stands in phase two of the Mahatshula East Housing Project have been designed to meet modern living standards while promoting a sense of community and belonging, among the residents.
Each stand is equipped with essential services such as water, electricity and road access, providing a conducive environment for residential development.