The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
MANGWE Rural District Council has called on investors to take up and develop five square kilometres of land that is lying idle at Ingwizi Business Centre.
Acting Mangwe Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Mandla Donga said the local authority was targeting stakeholders that could develop the land for residential, commercial and industrial purposes.
He said Ingwizi area was the district’s centre but financial challenges were affecting developmental works.
“Ingwizi area is the district’s main growth point. It has nine square kilometres of land that should be developed for residential, commercial and industrial purposes but as of now only four square kilometres of land have been developed.
“We are inviting building societies to take up the land and build houses for people or for them to service the land and sell stands. We are also calling upon other investors interested to develop the land in any way possible,” he said.
Mr Donga said if all the available land was taken up the local authority will avail more space.
He said the land development plan set for Ingwizi area was to have lodges and among other structures constructed within the area.
Mr Donga said all Government departments and NGOs operating within the district were expected to be housed at Ingwizi rather than in Plumtree Town.
He said Ingwizi area which was operating as a growth point was supposed to be turned into a town.
“Ingwizi is very crucial in the development of this town as it is surrounded by a lot of activities. It is along the major highway to Mphoengs Border Post which means that a lot of people pass through the area.
“It also houses one of the country’s major irrigation schemes, Arda Ingwizi Estate, it also has a big dam and plans are underway to construct a college and a communication information centre within the area. Expansion of the area therefore has to be in line with these developments but this is possible if land is serviced,” he said.
Mr Donga said prevailing low cash inflows were making it difficult for the local authority to develop Ingwizi as expected.
He said the poor road network also needed attention as it remained a hindrance in the growth of the growth point.
“We are looking forward to have a hive of activity at the growth point. There are a lot of resources that are under-utilised because of lack of funding,” he said.
Mangwe Rural Technology Institute is set to be opened in Ingwizi and it will operate as a satellite institute of Midlands State University. The rural institute will operate concurrently with a communication information centre which is set to be established at Bhulu High School also in Ingwizi Business Centre.
The Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services recently announced that it had procured equipment worth $43 000 for the communication information centre.
