Bulawayo council flats 'a time bomb'

City officials in Bulawayo have expressed deep concern over the worsening service delivery and living conditions at Sidojiwe Flats, a colonial-era housing complex in the Belmont Industrial area that was declared unfit for human habitation more than two decades ago.

Located just a few kilometres from the central business district (CBD), Sidojiwe Flats stand surrounded by shuttered factories and dense bushland, giving the impression of a long-abandoned settlement.

Visitors to the two blocks are greeted by broken windows, dark, dank corridors, and a foul stench caused by burst sewer pipes. The malfunctioning sewer system remains a persistent problem for the over 300 families who call the flats home, sharing one communal kitchen, five outdated bucket-system toilets, and a single bathroom.

At a recent full council meeting, Bulawayo city councillors pressed for urgent, actionable plans from department directors to address the flats' deteriorating infrastructure and poor living conditions.

"Council had declared the place unfit for human habitation," said Ward 5 councillor Octavius Nkomo. "Back in 2001, many residents applied for new houses under the millennium housing scheme but to date, none have been allocated residential stands or homes."

Nkomo warned that the situation was a "time bomb" given the long-term neglect.

"The residents have been living here for years with no intervention," he said, urging the formation of a committee to identify both short- and medium-term solutions.

He called for a task force headed by the committee chairperson, alongside the directors of housing, community services, and health services, to tackle housing registration and other pressing issues.

Ward 23 councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo also supported the proposal to establish the committee.

Residents' groups echoed the call for decisive action. Winos Dube, chairperson of the Bulawayo United Residents Association, demanded the immediate decommissioning of Sidojiwe Flats.

"We want to see action to prevent any dangers that may befall those still living in the flats," Dube said.

According to the town planning department, Sidojiwe was originally built to temporarily house 82 bachelors working in the Belmont industrial sector, but now shelters more than 700 people - an overpopulation that strains already failing infrastructure.

In July 2022, the city council ordered residents to vacate the premises following the flats' condemnation the previous year.

The dilapidated Sidojiwe Flats stand as a stark reminder of the urgent need for sustainable housing solutions in Bulawayo's industrial zones.