The Sunday News
Johnsias Mutonhori, Midlands Correspondent
GWERU City Council is proposing to come up with a law that abides land developers to contribute to the development of off-site infrastructure in areas they are working on.
The proposal was fronted by the mayor, Councillor Hamutendi Kombai, during a full council meeting last week.
The proposal was raised amid plans to move Gweru Sports Club (GSC) to a new site to pave way for the expansion of the Central Business District, which already got a nod from the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Larry Mavhima.
It is then claimed that a lot of businesspeople including land developers are bidding to erect and subdivide infrastructure at the yet to be moved sports club. Clr Kombai hinted that council has no capacity to develop amenities at the site hence there is a need to enact a by-law which abides land developers and business people to contribute a certain percentage.
“We must make a by-law which forces developers and those who want to subdivide buildings to contribute a certain percentage for the development of off-site infrastructure. We can’t continue allowing people to subdivide while they are not contributing anything for amenities such as roads, sewer and water systems,” he said.
Ward 11 Councillor Albert Chirau supported the idea saying instead of the developers paying money to council, they must be given a portion of area to develop.
“It’s good if we can give them a portion to develop off-site infrastructure. We know if they give us money, it ends up directed to some other things such as salaries at the expense of services,” said Clr Chirau.
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He cited Woodlands, as one of the areas where people have moved in before adequate functional amenities are provided.
“We don’t want to repeat what happened in Woodlands where residents settled in the area with a poor drainage system. Developers must be bound to develop this off-site infrastructure,” he said.
Meanwhile, there are disagreements over the issue of relocation of Gweru Sports Club (GSC) with some stakeholders saying council must develop other sports facilities first before the relocation. GSC chairperson Mr John Makubalo had already challenged the motion to move the sports club while there is no substitute in place with similar facilities.
“The movement of GSC can only be acceptable if there is another similar facility with squash courts, hall, grounds, lawn and underground drainage. The new facility must also be central to all,” he said.
Mr Makubalo said he was not sure if council has the capacity to construct a new facility citing considering that latest evaluation showed that the existing sports club is worth US$6,5 million.
“Building a new sport facility of that magnitude is a mammoth task for the council. The last evaluation revealed that GSC facilities are worth US$6,5 million and this is very expensive,” he said.
