News / National
300 industries for Cowdray Park
09 Sep 2022 at 01:01hrs | Views
BULAWAYO is establishing industries in Cowdray Park suburb and nearly 300 industrial stands are set for development in the city's most populous suburb.
According to the 2022 Population Census preliminary results, Cowdray Park (Ward 28) with 75 070 people is the second most populous urban ward in the country after Harare's Ward 43 (Budiriro) that has 89 287 people.
Cowdray Park suburb's population is bigger than Gwanda Town which has 27 143 residents and Hwange Local Board (formerly Hwange Town) with 40 241 residents.
The exponential growth of Cowdray Park has seen some developmental proponents lobbying that the suburb be made a satellite town.
It is believed that if Cowdray Park is made a satellite town, more resources could be channeled towards developing the area as it is lagging behind as far as service delivery is concerned.
At the moment the suburb is dominated by tuck shops with a few formalised shops operating.
Only brick moulding seems to be thriving in the area, although most of the moulders are operating illegally. The Bulawayo City Council has availed industrial stands in Cowdray Park and is calling for partners to develop them.
"The city was currently experiencing a high demand for industrial stands which had necessitated that the council come up with strategies of getting industrial stands serviced so that they could be allocated to beneficiaries. It was in this regard that permission was being sought from council to make available the 288 Industrial stands in Cowdray Park to developers for servicing through an expression of interest," reads the latest council report.
"The successful developers would be required to enter into a servicing agreement with council. These stands have an average stand size of 1 500 square metres in extent."
The council said the development of industrial stands in Cowdray Park will improve the city's economy by contributing to Bulawayo's Gross Domestic Product.
The project is also expected to create employment.
"The development of the stands would connect to the existing sewer and water offsite mains that already exist within Cowdray Park. In terms of the expressions of interest the developers will be expected to fully service the stands that would be made available to them with own funds and recoup their monies from the proceeds of the sale of the stands," reads the report.
"The stands were to be sold to beneficiaries after completion of servicing, after which the developer would recoup his monies with council getting the intrinsic value of the land, town planning charges and title survey fees from the proceeds of the stand sales."
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Mr Paul Nyoni said council's move is a step in the right direction in making Cowdray Park a self-sustaining satellite town.
"They recognise the distance between Cowdray Park and other areas is too long. Cowdray Park should develop into a self-sustaining, self-containing settlement with its industrial areas and this is a positive development. This (having industries in Cowdray Park) has always been part of the original plan that industrial areas be established closer to where people live so that they can work closer to where they live," said Mr Nyoni.
Cowdray Park Councillor Kidwell Mujuru said establishing industries in the suburb has become a need considering the population.
"We welcome the council's decision on the development of industrial stands in Cowdray Park. While at the moment we are just talking of servicing of industrial stands, this is a statement of intent that industries are going to be established in Cowdray Park. Creation of industries is important as it will create employment for our youth. Also, we will no longer be going to the Bulawayo central business district as we will be having services within our door steps," said Mujuru.
He said Cowdray Park is bigger than some towns with industries among other services but remains dependent on the Bulawayo city centre, which is a setback.
An economist, Mr Nketa Mangoye Dlamini, said Cowdray Park has a good market for businesses and availing land for industries will be good for the growth of the city.
"In terms of population, Cowdray Park is highly populated and is the fastest growing settlement in Bulawayo. I don't think there is a similar establishment in the city. But if its growth is not driven by economic productivity, we are going to have a problem. Establishment of industries will do well for that area as it already has a big market. There will not be any need for people to travel to the city centre to get services," said Mr Dlamini.
He said industrial stands should be allocated to business ventures that have a potential to grow.
"We hope formal or already established businesses are going to set up business in Cowdray Park, even if they are in the small and medium sector. We wish businesses which have a potential to grow to establish shops there as opposed to giving operating space to individuals who will just occupy land and fail to develop. We expect that industries that are established there create employment and it is not just individuals who benefit from the industrial stands," he said.
According to the 2022 Population Census preliminary results, Cowdray Park (Ward 28) with 75 070 people is the second most populous urban ward in the country after Harare's Ward 43 (Budiriro) that has 89 287 people.
Cowdray Park suburb's population is bigger than Gwanda Town which has 27 143 residents and Hwange Local Board (formerly Hwange Town) with 40 241 residents.
The exponential growth of Cowdray Park has seen some developmental proponents lobbying that the suburb be made a satellite town.
It is believed that if Cowdray Park is made a satellite town, more resources could be channeled towards developing the area as it is lagging behind as far as service delivery is concerned.
At the moment the suburb is dominated by tuck shops with a few formalised shops operating.
Only brick moulding seems to be thriving in the area, although most of the moulders are operating illegally. The Bulawayo City Council has availed industrial stands in Cowdray Park and is calling for partners to develop them.
"The city was currently experiencing a high demand for industrial stands which had necessitated that the council come up with strategies of getting industrial stands serviced so that they could be allocated to beneficiaries. It was in this regard that permission was being sought from council to make available the 288 Industrial stands in Cowdray Park to developers for servicing through an expression of interest," reads the latest council report.
"The successful developers would be required to enter into a servicing agreement with council. These stands have an average stand size of 1 500 square metres in extent."
The council said the development of industrial stands in Cowdray Park will improve the city's economy by contributing to Bulawayo's Gross Domestic Product.
The project is also expected to create employment.
"The development of the stands would connect to the existing sewer and water offsite mains that already exist within Cowdray Park. In terms of the expressions of interest the developers will be expected to fully service the stands that would be made available to them with own funds and recoup their monies from the proceeds of the sale of the stands," reads the report.
"The stands were to be sold to beneficiaries after completion of servicing, after which the developer would recoup his monies with council getting the intrinsic value of the land, town planning charges and title survey fees from the proceeds of the stand sales."
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Mr Paul Nyoni said council's move is a step in the right direction in making Cowdray Park a self-sustaining satellite town.
"They recognise the distance between Cowdray Park and other areas is too long. Cowdray Park should develop into a self-sustaining, self-containing settlement with its industrial areas and this is a positive development. This (having industries in Cowdray Park) has always been part of the original plan that industrial areas be established closer to where people live so that they can work closer to where they live," said Mr Nyoni.
Cowdray Park Councillor Kidwell Mujuru said establishing industries in the suburb has become a need considering the population.
"We welcome the council's decision on the development of industrial stands in Cowdray Park. While at the moment we are just talking of servicing of industrial stands, this is a statement of intent that industries are going to be established in Cowdray Park. Creation of industries is important as it will create employment for our youth. Also, we will no longer be going to the Bulawayo central business district as we will be having services within our door steps," said Mujuru.
He said Cowdray Park is bigger than some towns with industries among other services but remains dependent on the Bulawayo city centre, which is a setback.
An economist, Mr Nketa Mangoye Dlamini, said Cowdray Park has a good market for businesses and availing land for industries will be good for the growth of the city.
"In terms of population, Cowdray Park is highly populated and is the fastest growing settlement in Bulawayo. I don't think there is a similar establishment in the city. But if its growth is not driven by economic productivity, we are going to have a problem. Establishment of industries will do well for that area as it already has a big market. There will not be any need for people to travel to the city centre to get services," said Mr Dlamini.
He said industrial stands should be allocated to business ventures that have a potential to grow.
"We hope formal or already established businesses are going to set up business in Cowdray Park, even if they are in the small and medium sector. We wish businesses which have a potential to grow to establish shops there as opposed to giving operating space to individuals who will just occupy land and fail to develop. We expect that industries that are established there create employment and it is not just individuals who benefit from the industrial stands," he said.
Source - The Chronicle
