Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority launches housing scheme

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has launched a housing scheme in Bulawayo, which would see its employees accessing low-income housing stands.

The housing project, called Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Housing Fund, was officially launched in Mbundane suburb last weekend.

A total of 40 stands were unveiled to beneficiaries, all of whom are workers and paid-up members of the fund.

The stands are on unserviced land.

The facility is open to every employee, but only accessible to those who subscribe to the fund through payroll deductions, according to the authority's officials.

In a speech read on his behalf by human resources manager Mr Trust Mashingaidze, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Director General, Mr Vitalis Chadenga said the housing facility was aimed at improving the welfare of employees by assisting them with funds to acquire stands.

"The authority is an employer who strives to ensure that the welfare of employees is well looked after. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority will not rest until every employee gets his or her own accommodation," said Mr Chadenga.

He said although the Authority owned more than 13 percent of the country's land in the form of national parks where employees were given accommodation, there was still a need to look beyond life after work for workers.

"We have institutional accommodation in the 13,1 percent State land we own as the authority, but there is life after wildlife, which is why we have come up with this housing project to afford accommodation to our staff," said Mr Chadenga.

"This is not happening here in Bulawayo alone, but we have acquired stands in Harare and Beatrice and very soon we will be going to Masvingo. We are expecting to get more stands in Bulawayo, Binga, Beitbridge, Gwanda and Plumtree."

He appealed to local authorities to avail affordable serviced land to beneficiaries and urged developers and other stakeholders to come up with affordable schemes.

"To the beneficiaries I congratulate you for taking a great step to have houses of your own. We now expect to see a change in spending patterns because we want to see houses being built. It is now befitting that I officially hand over these 40 stands to the beneficiaries," Mr Chadenga said.

"I would want to encourage other organisations to emulate what we have done so that our people get accommodation."

The authority's western region finance and administration manager Mr Precious Mhaka said the housing fund was established after the realisation that workers were spending most of their time at work in the wildlife conservancies and had no time to look for decent accommodation.

"This is meant to enhance chances of workers accessing stands by approaching local authorities. The scheme has about 400 members in the western region and today 40 are getting stands," said Mr Mhaka.

The land developer, Mr Mehluli Khumalo of Mehluli Khumalo Land Developers, said his company would increase its pace on the ground.

"It has taken us a long time to develop this place, but you have come at a time when the whole project is nearing completion. We promise to service the stands as a matter of urgency, so that we all start building houses," he said.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo said the council would continue availing land to organisations for their workers.

He challenged beneficiaries to start developing their stands.

"You must start realising value in your stand because once it is in your name you would start having access to loans as it would act as collateral. Please do not be afraid to apply for loans because all these people who have built houses have done so through borrowed money," said Clr Moyo.