The government is on track to meet its objective of constructing 225 000 houses in Zimbabwe by 2025. This was revealed by Engineer Joy Makumbe during a tour of the Dzivaresekwa construction site.
Makumbe is the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities. He was accompanied by representatives from the Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing Portfolio Committees of Parliament on the tour.
According to the PS, the construction of the 225 000 houses in Zimbabwe will be achieved through a combination of government initiatives and private sector interventions. This revelation comes is in light of the results of this week’s 2022 population census.
According to the results, 83 percent of Zimbabwean households reside in modern homes. In addition, the results revealed that only about 60 percent of households own their homes in the Southern African country.
Ongoing works as part of the project for the construction of the 225 000 houses in Zimbabwe
The government through the Department of Public Works is currently constructing four blocks of flats for low-income people in Dzivaresekwa. The works are being carried out as part of the project for the construction of 225 000 houses in Zimbabwe.
In addition, according to Eng Makumbe, they have also contracted with a private contractor to construct an additional six blocks of flats. The Dzivarasekwa flats’ construction was halted in the mid-1990s due to a lack of funds. It didn’t pick up until July of last year. As of now, the contractor is reportedly working on the roof of three of the four flats. In two months, they are expected to be completed.
Moreover, the PS stated that the country currently has a backlog of almost 1.5 million houses. Makumbe further explained that considering the tremendous backlog, they have a huge mandate. “As a result,” she continued, “things are moving much quicker than most people can imagine.”
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Assessing the progress of blocks of flats in other regions
The Portfolio Committee of Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing is touring the country for a week. This is in a bid to assess the progress of the blocks of flats under construction in Marondera, Gweru, and Lupane.
