NBS to build 2 000 houses in Matabeleland region
THE National Building Society (NBS) aims to build 2 000 houses in the Matabeleland
region over a period of five years through a partnership with private players, which will
help reduce the housing backlog.
The financial services institution is a subsidiary of the National Social Security Authority
(NSSA) and wants to take advantage of Government plans to deliver 22 000 housing units
in the region.
National Security Authority (Nssa)
On Friday, the bank engaged building contractors and local authorities in Bulawayo to
unpack its housing delivery thrust.
Earlier NBS had said the Matabeleland region has appealing building opportunities that it
would exploit.
Areas of interest include Plumtree town; there is a proposed Getjeng-Bophelong
partnership, while in Bulawayo the building society has projects in Rangemore
(Presidential Housing Scheme), Mahatshula East under Enock Construction, and
Mahatshula North Flats undertaken by Bulawayo City Council. In Plumtree, the bank is
expected to deliver 600 housing units from 710 hectares.
“In Matabeleland, we have various housing schemes that we are operating on a privatepublic partnership (PPP) arrangement and some other properties that we have acquired from local authorities, especially in Plumtree,” said NBS chief housing officer, Engineer Peter Robert Mukome.
“We are pursuing 150 stands, which we are developing. We have land measuring 710
hectares, which we are exploring in Plumtree to deliver 600 houses in the first phase
under PPP.
“In Bulawayo, the housing waiting list is huge, we have various proposals with the local
authority to deliver low-cost houses that are affordable to the residents.”
Mr Mukome said the bank’s housing delivery thrust feeds into Government’s National
Development Strategy 1 under the housing cluster.
“With a market space of around 22 000 housing units targeted to be delivered in
Matabeleland region within the next five years, as a bank, we are aiming to deliver a
share of around 2 000 houses.”
Local authorities and land developers were keen to know whether the bank has plans to
fund the construction of residential flats.
Access to affordable and decent accommodation is a critical component of the
Government’s vision to create an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
The launch of the Zimbabwe National Human Settlement Policy by President Mnangagwa
set the tone for the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities to operationalise
the policy in partnership with the private sector.
President Mnangagwa
Zimbabwe has a national housing backlog of around 1,5 million units and targets to
deliver 1,2 million units by 2030 and part of the vision is to change the face of Zimbabwe
by building modern houses that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
The Government has set a target to deliver 22 000 housing units by 2025 leveraging on
partnerships with the private sector and new technologies in the human settlement
sector.
Bulawayo City Council principal town planner, Sithabisiwe Ncube, said the local
authority is keen on partnering with private developers and implored the bank to also
avail funding to the small to medium enterprise sector.
“As council, we have engaged private developers to say anyone who has the capacity
should partner us. Residents also need a full package when it comes to constructing
houses. The bank should also think beyond housing provision,” she said.
“The house owners need sustenance, they need to pay rates for the houses as such we ask
the bank to consider funding the small to medium sector.”-The Chronicle
