Nguluvhe pushes for high rise buildings in Gwanda

Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Albert Nguluvhe has urged Gwanda Municipality to prioritise the construction of high-rise residential buildings to address the province's growing housing shortage, with more than 34,000 people currently on the housing waiting list.

Speaking during World Habitat Day commemorations held at Phelandaba Stadium in Gwanda on Tuesday, Nguluvhe said local authorities should embrace modern housing solutions that maximise limited urban land while providing affordable accommodation.

The commemorations, held under the theme "Adequate Housing for All", were organised in partnership with UN-Habitat.

Nguluvhe said the traditional approach of allocating large residential stands was becoming increasingly unsustainable, particularly as younger generations prioritised affordable housing over spacious properties.

"These young couples no longer care much about having garden space or big land, they just want accommodation that is affordable, so I urge you to look into it and focus more on having high-rise buildings," he said.

He said constructing multi-storey residential apartments would enable local authorities to accommodate more families on smaller pieces of land while reducing pressure on existing infrastructure.

The minister commended Gwanda Municipality for its ongoing housing development initiatives, saying the projects demonstrated encouraging progress towards addressing the accommodation crisis.

"I'm happy with the progress that Gwanda Municipality is making in terms of creating accommodation for residents. Mat South province as a whole has 34,000 on the waiting list. As I tour the projects in Gwanda, I'm happy with the progress, keep it up," Nguluvhe said.

Gwanda Mayor Thulani Moyo said the municipality was working with private developers to accelerate residential stand servicing and housing delivery.

Monerf managing director Elinas Gumbo confirmed that her company was developing more than 600 residential stands in the town, with infrastructure works nearing completion.

"We are developing over 600 stands and we are finishing up the servicing of stands and main sewer lines," Gumbo said.

However, Mayor Moyo expressed frustration over delays involving land held by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and AFC Bank, saying the failure to service the properties was holding back major investment projects.

He revealed that several investors were prepared to develop modern hotels and sporting facilities in Gwanda but could not proceed because of the outstanding land servicing issues.

"We have approached the Minister of State and told him about the delays by the RBZ and AFC in servicing the land they hold. We have ready investors to build state-of-the-art hotels and stadiums but we cannot proceed due to the hold-up," Moyo said.

The municipality hopes that resolving the land development challenges, alongside increased investment in high-density residential projects, will accelerate housing delivery and stimulate economic growth in the provincial capital.

The provincial housing backlog highlights the growing pressure on local authorities to provide affordable accommodation as urban populations expand and demand for serviced residential land continues to rise.