Govt urged to revive building brigades

Stakeholders in the housing sector say the new government should consider the revival of building brigades as part of measures to provide low cost housing for the majority.

The recommendations by the stakeholders in the housing development sector are in line with the Zanu PF manifesto where a commitment to ease housing woes was made.

In its election manifesto, the revolutionary party committed itself to resettle people in peri-urban areas as part of the urban expansion model.

Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA) Secretary General, Rodgers Mozhenty said the concept of building brigades worked very well in the 1980s with the construction and renovation of low-cost houses, construction of standard design social facilities such as schools and clinics and the manufacture of building materials.

"We are saying local authorities alone cannot deliver low cost housing to all. So the new government should then re-introduce building brigades which are attached to the local authorities and have clearly set out targets for delivery," he said.

Harare East Union Housing Co-operative Chairman, Nelson Mandizvidza says the government should also come up with a regulatory framework for housing co-operatives to ensure efficiency.

"The new government has a mammoth task of ensuring that housing cooperatives are well organised and this will help in ensuring the delivery of low cost housing. This can be done," said Mandizvidza.

In 1982, the government adopted building brigades as a key mode of low-cost housing construction.

Building brigades were attached to local authorities.

The building brigades worked well in cities such as Bulawayo.

The concept is articulated in the revised National Housing Policy launched early this year.