News / Local
BCC in bid to resolve double allocations issue in Cowdray Park
06 Jun 2012 at 04:30hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has started engaging Hlalani Kuhle Housing Project beneficiaries in Cowdray Park in a bid to resolve double allocations.
More than 2 000 beneficiaries of the Government self-help project reportedly lost their housing stands, as some were allocated to more than one owner.
Bulawayo City Council senior public relations officer Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said in an interview the local authority was now in the process of reversing the double allocations.
"The beneficiaries who were affected by the double allocations are now being called in person to resolve the irregularity," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the resolution would result in one party remaining with the original stand, while the other would be offered a new stand.
Mrs Mpofu said affected beneficiaries were being vetted as per council resolution of 4 April 2012.
"A bank account for the project has been opened and all payments by beneficiaries relating to servicing money and stand money prices for the intrinsic value of the land will be deposited into that account," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the project has so far been progressing well.
"The technical team will soon reconvene to review progress and discuss other outstanding issues such as provision of social infrastructure, temporary sanitation systems, refuse removal, public transport and other issues pertaining to settlement planning," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the building inspectorate team was on the ground dealing with non-compliant structures and to advise beneficiaries on what needs to be done to regularise their structures.
"A draft advert has been done to inform the public about developments pertaining to the project and advising beneficiaries on administrative issues that have with immediate effect taken place concerning the management of the project," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said a fully-fledged housing office has been set up in Cowdray Park and staff members assigned to it to help beneficiaries.
"Beneficiaries are already being assisted at this office with a view of addressing problematic issues in particular resolving double allocations," said Mrs Mpofu.
The Government handed over the Cowdray Park Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai Housing Project to the council in March this year, in line with the 2009 Cabinet resolution.
After the handover a meeting co-chaired by directors of engineering services and housing and community services was held and attended by officials from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Home Seekers Consortium Trust to map the way forward.
The Government and the Bulawayo City Council recently embarked on an audit of the disputed Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai Government housing stands in Cowdray Park, after Hlalani Kuhle officials repossessed about 2 300 stands from beneficiaries in the suburb, on the grounds they were not paying developmental fees to the consortium.
An Inter-ministerial Provincial Operation Committee was set up to reverse the double allocations.
More than 2 000 beneficiaries of the Government self-help project reportedly lost their housing stands, as some were allocated to more than one owner.
Bulawayo City Council senior public relations officer Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said in an interview the local authority was now in the process of reversing the double allocations.
"The beneficiaries who were affected by the double allocations are now being called in person to resolve the irregularity," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the resolution would result in one party remaining with the original stand, while the other would be offered a new stand.
Mrs Mpofu said affected beneficiaries were being vetted as per council resolution of 4 April 2012.
"A bank account for the project has been opened and all payments by beneficiaries relating to servicing money and stand money prices for the intrinsic value of the land will be deposited into that account," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the project has so far been progressing well.
She said the building inspectorate team was on the ground dealing with non-compliant structures and to advise beneficiaries on what needs to be done to regularise their structures.
"A draft advert has been done to inform the public about developments pertaining to the project and advising beneficiaries on administrative issues that have with immediate effect taken place concerning the management of the project," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said a fully-fledged housing office has been set up in Cowdray Park and staff members assigned to it to help beneficiaries.
"Beneficiaries are already being assisted at this office with a view of addressing problematic issues in particular resolving double allocations," said Mrs Mpofu.
The Government handed over the Cowdray Park Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai Housing Project to the council in March this year, in line with the 2009 Cabinet resolution.
After the handover a meeting co-chaired by directors of engineering services and housing and community services was held and attended by officials from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Home Seekers Consortium Trust to map the way forward.
The Government and the Bulawayo City Council recently embarked on an audit of the disputed Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai Government housing stands in Cowdray Park, after Hlalani Kuhle officials repossessed about 2 300 stands from beneficiaries in the suburb, on the grounds they were not paying developmental fees to the consortium.
An Inter-ministerial Provincial Operation Committee was set up to reverse the double allocations.
Source - TC
