News / Local
City Council avails stands to applicants on waiting list
27 Aug 2013 at 22:46hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council will this week start inviting residents on the housing waiting list to buy about 2 131 stands that have been released in four suburbs, with the cheapest stand at Mahatshula set to cost about $10 500.
The city is battling to cover a housing backlog of more than 100 000.
In an interview with the state media yesterday, the city's director of housing and community services, Mr Isaiah Magagula, said council was still working out the cost of stands at Emhlangeni Phase Two.
"These would be released soon after council starts selling the stands in other suburbs on 1 September," said Mr Magagula.
The stands would be allocated in Luveve 5, Magwegwe North, Mahatshula and Emhlangeni suburbs.
Mr Magagula said stands in the two western suburbs would cost at least $3 200, with the smallest stand being 200 square metres.
"The most expensive would cost about $7 000 and there would be few of those," he said.
Mr Magagula said stands in Mahatshula, the smallest being 600 square metres, were a bit expensive as council would tar all the roads as part of its servicing.
Last month, the city's senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu announced that only residents on the housing waiting list would be eligible to buy the stands.
She said council would allocate 875 stands in Luveve 5, 546 in Magwegwe North, 169 stands in Mahatshula and 541 in Emhlangeni.
She said the size of stands in Emhlangeni would be at least 800 square metres.
Normally the local authority requires residents to pay a 35 percent deposit on accepting an offer for stands.
A further 35 percent would be paid in equal installments within the first six months with the remaining 30 percent paid within 12 months, thus bringing the total payment period to 18 months.
Council has availed more than 15 000 housing stands to residents in the last 11 years but the number of people on the waiting list keeps going up.
Outgoing Mayor, Mr Thaba Moyo is on record saying council needs more than $60 million to effectively address the housing backlog in the city.
Mr Moyo said council faced an uphill task with private developers in the provision of housing.
He said between 2002 and 2009, council allocated 13 865 stands including those at Hlalani Kuhle to private developers but many of the contractors failed to complete servicing the stands.
He said this forced council to engage new contractors to complete the work.
About 85 percent of people on Bulawayo's housing waiting list are low income earners so they can only afford low cost houses.
The issue of housing is a national problem with the country's backlog estimated to be more than two million.
President Mugabe in June launched the revised National Housing Policy in Harare meant to address this national housing backlog.
The city is battling to cover a housing backlog of more than 100 000.
In an interview with the state media yesterday, the city's director of housing and community services, Mr Isaiah Magagula, said council was still working out the cost of stands at Emhlangeni Phase Two.
"These would be released soon after council starts selling the stands in other suburbs on 1 September," said Mr Magagula.
The stands would be allocated in Luveve 5, Magwegwe North, Mahatshula and Emhlangeni suburbs.
Mr Magagula said stands in the two western suburbs would cost at least $3 200, with the smallest stand being 200 square metres.
"The most expensive would cost about $7 000 and there would be few of those," he said.
Mr Magagula said stands in Mahatshula, the smallest being 600 square metres, were a bit expensive as council would tar all the roads as part of its servicing.
Last month, the city's senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu announced that only residents on the housing waiting list would be eligible to buy the stands.
She said council would allocate 875 stands in Luveve 5, 546 in Magwegwe North, 169 stands in Mahatshula and 541 in Emhlangeni.
Normally the local authority requires residents to pay a 35 percent deposit on accepting an offer for stands.
A further 35 percent would be paid in equal installments within the first six months with the remaining 30 percent paid within 12 months, thus bringing the total payment period to 18 months.
Council has availed more than 15 000 housing stands to residents in the last 11 years but the number of people on the waiting list keeps going up.
Outgoing Mayor, Mr Thaba Moyo is on record saying council needs more than $60 million to effectively address the housing backlog in the city.
Mr Moyo said council faced an uphill task with private developers in the provision of housing.
He said between 2002 and 2009, council allocated 13 865 stands including those at Hlalani Kuhle to private developers but many of the contractors failed to complete servicing the stands.
He said this forced council to engage new contractors to complete the work.
About 85 percent of people on Bulawayo's housing waiting list are low income earners so they can only afford low cost houses.
The issue of housing is a national problem with the country's backlog estimated to be more than two million.
President Mugabe in June launched the revised National Housing Policy in Harare meant to address this national housing backlog.
Source - Chronicle
