News / National
Kasukuwere stalls Gweru housing project
12 May 2017 at 06:06hrs | Views
LOCAL Government, Public Works and National Housing minister Saviour Kasukuwere is still to reverse a directive stopping Gweru City Council from selling stands at the new Mkoba 21 housing scheme, almost a year after council applied for the order to be lifted, a senior council official has revealed.
Kasukuwere issued the directive not to sell the stands last year over reports that the stands were being sold in a clandestine manner.
Mayor Charles Chikozho said council then applied to the ministry in June last year, seeking permission to sell the stands, but the minister was still to respond to the request.
"An application dated June 20, 2016 has since been submitted to the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing ministry seeking authority to sell stands in Mkoba 21," Chikozho said.
"We are still waiting for the minister's response, but the delay in the response has led to a number of people withdrawing from the scheme, thereby prejudicing council of much-needed funds."
He said the local authority had since procured equipment to service the stands with a grader already having been delivered.
Chikozho said servicing of Mkoba 21 would resume as soon as all the equipment had been delivered.
"The procured excavator has not yet been delivered due to foreign currency problems encountered by the suppliers," he said.
The cash-strapped local authority availed 6 733 stands to potential buyers early in 2015, but is still to service the area.
Kasukuwere issued the directive not to sell the stands last year over reports that the stands were being sold in a clandestine manner.
Mayor Charles Chikozho said council then applied to the ministry in June last year, seeking permission to sell the stands, but the minister was still to respond to the request.
"An application dated June 20, 2016 has since been submitted to the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing ministry seeking authority to sell stands in Mkoba 21," Chikozho said.
"We are still waiting for the minister's response, but the delay in the response has led to a number of people withdrawing from the scheme, thereby prejudicing council of much-needed funds."
He said the local authority had since procured equipment to service the stands with a grader already having been delivered.
Chikozho said servicing of Mkoba 21 would resume as soon as all the equipment had been delivered.
"The procured excavator has not yet been delivered due to foreign currency problems encountered by the suppliers," he said.
The cash-strapped local authority availed 6 733 stands to potential buyers early in 2015, but is still to service the area.
Source - newsday
