Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Government has allocated 750 hectares to Chiredzi Town Council for the development of more than 5 000 housing units that are meant to cut back on the runaway housing backlog in the sugarcane growing town.

Construction of the housing units will be financed through a $14 million kitty from Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe Pension Fund.

Council chairperson Councillor Francis Moyo last week said the recently availed land will significantly enhance the town’s bid to attain municipal status by end of the year.

“We are glad that Government has finally granted us 750ha of land that we intend to use to develop 5 000 housing units, construction of a university and building state-of-the-art shopping malls that befit a modern town like Chiredzi,” said Clr Moyo.

“This dream of a better and well developed Chiredzi Town was solidified by Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe, who in 2016 applied for land to develop houses for their pensioners.”

Clr Moyo said the scope of the new project included waterworks and sewer reticulation. “Such an investment would benefit us as a town in various ways as a new waterworks plant would be built along Chiredzi River,” he said.

“We are happy that this project will also create thousands of jobs while transforming Chiredzi Town into a city.’’

According to Clr Moyo, Chiredzi Town Council will share proceeds from the project with Chiredzi Rural District Council in keeping with Memorandum of Understanding that exists between the two local authorities.

“Government offered us the 750ha as a result of a collective effort between Chiredzi Town and the rural council and we will honour our MoU, which outlines terms of proceeds sharing. The town council will get 60 percent and the other party will receive the remaining 40 percent,’’ he said.