Bulawayo housing waiting list hits 160 000

The Bulawayo City Council has approved building plans valued at more than US$9,6 million amid mounting pressure from a housing waiting list that has surged past 160 000 applicants.

Latest council figures show that 161 058 housing application forms have been captured in the AS400 system, underscoring the widening gap between housing demand and available supply in the city.

According to the latest report from the building control section, Director of Housing and Community Services Dictor Khumalo said 1 252 building plans were processed in December 2025. Of these, 859 were referred to other departments and had not yet completed the approval process, while 393 were finalised.

"Of the 393 plans that completed the process, 264 building plans with a value of US$9 632 810 were approved, while 129 were referred back for corrections," the report stated.

However, council recorded a 7,69% decrease in approved plans compared to November 2025.

Between November 26 and 30, a total of 427 building plans worth US$11 465 798 were submitted - representing a 9,77% increase from October - generating US$114 657,98 in submission fees.

Council noted that 347 of those plans were lodged within the last five days of November as developers rushed to beat the operationalisation deadline of Statutory Instrument 56 of 2025. The regulation requires building plans to be prepared by individuals or entities registered with the Architects Council of Zimbabwe.

In contrast, only 80 plans were submitted in December - a drop of nearly 70% from previous months - highlighting the potential negative impact of SI 56 of 2025 on development activity and municipal revenue.

The report further indicated that 1 237 inspections were conducted in December 2025, marking a 21,8% decrease from the previous month. From these inspections, 53 buildings were issued with occupation certificates, while 162 dilapidated structures were revisited.

"A possible total of US$10 965 was raised from building inspections and other building control activities captured in this report," the council minutes read.

Authorities are also monitoring 252 properties flagged for structural concerns as the city grapples with both rising housing demand and compliance challenges in the construction sector.