The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana, Hwange Correspondent
THE first phase towards the implementation of the $6 million Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe loan facility extended to Hwange Local Board has begun in earnest with the construction of an 18-kilometre road network, while street lighting is set to be completed in six months.
IDBZ availed $6m towards infrastructure development of Empumalanga West housing project where 2 144 housing units will be built.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of a tour of Empumalanga West after the official handover of the construction site to the contractor, RM Construction, HLB chief executive officer Mr Ndumiso Mdlalose said all was set for the implementation of the first phase of the project.
“This was just handover of the official construction site by council and our partners IDBZ to the company which won the tender to construct the 18km tarred road network and install street lights. This ceremony is a symbolic gesture of the conclusion of contractual agreements between the contractor and the bank. The project should be commencing in two weeks’ time. Our preference as council is solar lighting which we believe will be lighter on residents in the long term as evidenced by our sewer plant which is using the sun’s energy which is efficient.”
Mr Mdlalose said the second phase which is the upgrading of the water and sewer reticulation system will commence as soon as the construction of the road network was done.
HLB became the first local authority to go green when they commissioned the Chibondo-Baobab solar powered and upgraded water and sewer reticulation system three months ago.
Due to the non-functioning of its two waste water treatment plants, the local authority has been disposing raw effluent into nearby streams.
Mr Mdlalose said funding by IDBZ would go a long way towards ensuring the development of the 2 144 titled serviced stands at the new suburb which had been at a standstill due to delays in the payment of monthly subscriptions by beneficiaries.
