1,000 residential stands windfall for municipal workers

About a thousand municipal workers under the Combined Municipality Workers Union of Zimbabwe (CMWUZ) are set to benefit from residential stands in Norton, following a landmark housing deal aimed at easing the accommodation challenges faced by union members.

The initiative was unveiled on Saturday during a groundbreaking ceremony after CMWUZ secured a partnership with a local land developer, Beyond Reality Cooperative, which has availed residential stands to the union.

CMWUZ chairperson, Shadrack Chikore, said the union had already paid part of the money for the stands, which range in size from 200m² to 2,000m².

"We want our union members to be landlords, and we are happy that this dream is coming true," said Chikore.
"We asked for land from local authorities close to Harare, but we had to settle for Norton due to the friendly terms and conditions from the land developer."

According to Chikore, allocation of the first 100 residential stands is scheduled for November 18, targeting members who have paid at least 40 percent of the required amount. Those beneficiaries will be allowed to begin construction immediately.

Formed in 2003, CMWUZ represents municipal workers-mainly from Harare-with the goal of improving their welfare and protecting their rights.

"Currently, we have close to 400 members set to benefit from this housing project, but we expect the number to grow to 1,000 before year-end as more members join the initiative," Chikore added.
"We are working closely with our legal team to ensure there are no loopholes in the process. Next week, about 100 members or home-seekers will be allocated stands that have already been paid for before we move to the next phase."

The project marks a significant milestone in the union's ongoing efforts to provide decent and affordable housing for its members amid Zimbabwe's persistent urban accommodation shortages.