100,000 Bulawayo home-seekers to get houses

More than 100,000 Bulawayo home-seekers are set to benefit from the government's housing project which is set to be rolled out in the next few months. This is part of government's economic blueprint, Zim-Asset meant to provide shelter.

In an interview on Friday, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs for Bulawayo, Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, said her office will oversee the allocation of land in the province.

She said her office will be working closely with the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to ensure success of the project.

Minister Moyo said land has already been identified for new medium and high density suburbs in the city.

"We're working on it together with ministry of local government. We've identified the land and more than 100,000 people are set to benefit. My office is now working with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. We should come up with a system of allocating the houses by end of March," said Minister Moyo.

She, however, declined to reveal the criteria to be used to select beneficiaries saying it will be announced later. "I can't talk about that at the moment but what I know is that the land has been identified and there'll be high density and medium density suburbs," she said.

Minister Moyo however said she would ensure the selection was done transparently.

The establishment of new suburbs is set to ease pressure on Bulawayo City Council whose housing backlog is about 110,000.

Most local authorities have been struggling to reduce the housing backlog because of the economic challenges facing the country.

Many local authorities were forced to abandon housing waiting lists in preference of individuals who could afford to buy housing stands.

The government has however said ignoring waiting lists in favour of cash-rich individuals, was against the policy of ensuring all homeseekers are provided an equal opportunity to own houses.