Doctors ask Chiwenga for land to build surgeries

GOVERNMENT has said that plans to redevelop some of the oldest suburbs across the country is critical in increasing housing space and industrial opportunities.

The idea dovetails with the Second Republic development agenda espoused in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) as well as the smart cities model, which thrives on increased citizen engagement and use of digital technologies.

Speaking in Victoria Falls last week, Vice President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga rallied professionals both in civil service and private sector to get into groups and present bankable business proposals that can make them access land for projects.

He was responding to doctors who attended the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Anesthetic Association conference, which ended here on Friday, who pleaded with Government for land to build surgeries and homes.

Dr Chiwenga said the Second Republic is implementing numerous projects countrywide in line with its upper middle income economy targets by year 2030.

He said there will be opportunities in Mt Hampden New City near Harare, which will have the tallest building in Africa, Melfort Smart City, Victoria Falls and Hwange Special Economic Zone. Plans are also underway to redevelop Makokoba in Bulawayo, Mbare in Harare, Sakubva in Mutare, Elephant roofs in Kadoma, Mtapa in Gweru and Chinotimba suburb in Victoria Falls.

Dr Chiwenga said land is limited hence the concept of high-rise buildings in the new housing and settlement policy while redesigning the oldest suburbs will avail more space.

"You are talking about land for developing your own surgeries, hospitals and homes. We are working on ways of fully utilising the available land in different citities and towns," he said.

Dr Chiwenga said it was for this reason that the Second Republic has come up with a policy of building going up in order to create more land for other uses.

"You will be seeing these programmes in some areas for instance starting in Mutare, Sakubva must go. So, we have places like Mbare, Kadoma elephant roofs and Mtapa in Gweru, Makokoba in Bulawayo and others. These are places where we are going to build and we will create land for various uses," said Dr Chiwenga.

He said even land occupied by illegal settlements will be recovered so that decent houses are built. This, Dr Chiwenga said, we also encompasses rural industrialisation, which Government is pursuing.

"We are also saying we need to industrialise the rural areas and that is why we are encouraging some of your colleagues who are in the different areas to go into the rural areas where we are putting up projects to attract professionals so people don't rush to urban areas," said the VP.

Through rural industrialisation, the Government hopes to capacitate rural areas by boosting crop production and putting up processing plants.

Rural industrialisation, which promotes the Second Republic's devolution policy, involves nurturing agro-processing start-up enterprises in rural areas through financial and technological support.

Dr Chiwenga also said there are opportunities in the green belts to be created by various dams such as Lake Gwayi-Shangani, Tuli Manyange, Tugwi-Mukosi and in areas such as Binga, Kanyemba, Chiredzi and Darwendale.

"Why not go there and find a small piece of land and come together, you can't go solo and succeed. Group yourselves, come and we will give you the land to build hospitals, that way you will become successful," said Dr Chiwenga.