The Sunday News
THE United Nations says international human rights law recognises everyone’s right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing. It argues that despite the central place of this right within the global legal system, well over a billion people worldwide are not adequately housed. The UN says millions around the world live in life- or health-threatening conditions, in overcrowded slums and informal settlements, or in other conditions which do not uphold their human rights and their dignity. Further millions are forcibly evicted, or threatened with forced eviction, from their homes every year.
While Zimbabwe does not have a big problem of slums like seen in neighbouring South Africa, there is however, no denying the fact that many people are in need of housing, especially in town and cities, as local authorities battle with clearing house waiting lists which keep ballooning by each passing day. It is therefore refreshing to note that Government has gone a gear up in making moves to provide housing for people in a number of cities. The project will be backed by funding from China, after Government secured a multi-million dollar investment for the construction of 32 000 housing units countrywide, in line with the economic blue print, Zim-Asset.
The Minister of Local Housing, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere told the media last week that the investment deal also includes the expansion of existing towns and construction of new ones under different frameworks that include Build Operate and Transfer (BOT), local facilities and special economic zones.
“We are happy that we are starting on a positive note. Now we are moving to the specifics to get the projects running in housing, construction, sewer…We need high rising buildings that don’t eat into our land and our discussion centered on issues like skills transfer,” he said, after meeting with a delegation from China led by Zhang Changer of the Hubei province, which was in the country to explore ways of implementing the projects.
The Minister is also on record as saying land has already been identified and work will commence before the end of the year, especially in Harare and Bulawayo. He added that a youth suburb was earmarked for Bulawayo, after promising to avail land to city youths where 20 000 housing units can be constructed.
“This is a serious project, already I know that Phase 2 in Umvutsha B has already been identified, we want our youths to have stands rather than living all their lives as lodgers. We really expect these local authorities to co-operate knowing provision of accommodation to their residents is one of their key mandates,” said Minister Kasukuwere, when told that the Bulawayo City Council was claiming it does not have the capacity to service the land of that magnitude.
We note that the provision of housing initiative by Government is a noble one, especially coming at a time when local authorities in major towns and cities, which are led by the opposition MDC T, have failed dismally in that area, and only to hit headlines for the wrong reasons with accusations of corrupt land deals, among other shenanigans. This should get the people thinking, who is there to serve; the MDC T or Zanu PF which forms central government? The answer is simple, those who are there to serve are easily identifiable by being visible on the ground doing projects to empower and improve the livelihoods of cities, with provision of housing one of the activities.
It is also important to note that the provision of decent housing is also a public health issue. In the old days, urban councils built sewers to improve living conditions and it is therefore important that improvements are done in that area, to cate for the increasing population in towns and cities.
