Plan to improve, regularise housing

Government has embarked on a programme to address the conditions of people living in irregular settlements including construction of on-site and off-site infrastructure for houses built under Operation Garikari/Hlalani Kuhle.

Speaking at the 13th post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, briefed Cabinet on the programme.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the programme would address the untenable situation brought about by the emergence of irregular and dysfunctional settlements, including in wetlands and flood-prone areas.

Housing cooperatives would be streamlined and any settlements established by these entities which were irregular and dysfunctional would be removed or regularised in terms of the set criteria under the relevant statutes with those eligible for relocation receiving the necessary support.

The programme, she said, also covered the production of the National Wetlands Masterplan, streamlining the operations of housing cooperatives and the rehabilitation of damaged roads.

At least 31 257 families countrywide were residing in wetlands or in dysfunctional and irregular settlements and are in need of alternative accommodation.

Minister Mutsvangwa said verification of affected households was ongoing, while the provision of relief to distressed households in areas prone to flooding was underway.

“It will be recalled that the settlement project includes the development of blocks of flats by Government to house huge numbers of relocated households at Dzivaresekwa and at Highfield (Harare) and Senga Messengers Camp (Gweru),” she said.-herald.c.zw