High-rise flats for Emganwini

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) and government plan to build high-rise residential flats in Emganwini suburb to curb the city's housing woes.

The plans were announced last week during the commissioning of 267 residential stands in Lot 2 of Emganwini serviced by TCI International Private Limited in collaboration with BCC and the government.

Addressing delegates, mayor Solomon Mguni said laws have since been formulated to improve city urban planning.

"In housing development, we have to craft new rules and regulations that improve urban planning and design as evidenced by the government settlement policy which provides for 40% of the land in new layouts. We have provided sites here in Emganwini for construction of flats and I hope that the developers of those flats will not let us down," Mguni said.

"In the past, we had always included these in our layouts and we recognised that development of high-rise buildings will help alleviate the challenges of accommodation and address the rising demand for land."

Mguni also noted that it was encouraging that residents were also eager to formulate solutions to address housing challenges currently bedeviling the city.

In January this year, the council advertised for expressions of interest in the development of residential stands on Lot 1 of RE Umganwini (460) and a portion of RE 1198 of Lot 400A Emganwini (118).

The 267 serviced stands will be sold to beneficiaries on the council housing waiting list and the developer, TCI International, will recoup its monies for servicing the stands from proceeds of stand sales.