Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Michael Padera
29 October 2009
Victoria Falls — Government is committed to providing affordable decent accommodation and has adopted a policy of incremental development that allows construction of houses while the land is being serviced, President Mugabe has said.
Officially opening the National Housing Convention here yesterday, President Mugabe said Government was working to reduce the backlog, which currently stands at over one million.
"In order to make housing delivery more affordable to the people, Government has adopted the policy of incremental or parallel development, which requires local authorities to allocate unserviced land to homeless groups.
"The beneficiary groups pool resources for the purpose of servicing the land and subsequently the construction of houses," he said.
The policy allows the construction of houses once water and sanitary facilities are on site while such other facilities as roads, stormwater drains and electricity can be provided at a later stage.
President Mugabe said despite the socio-economic hardships that Zimbabwe went through -- largely as a result of the West's negative and destructive attitude -- Government had remained firm in giving priority to housing in fiscal allocations.
"The convention takes place against the backdrop of an economy that is emerging and recovering from economic recession since the year 2000, during which the country experienced depressed industrial output and entrenched speculative activities, all working towards undermining our export competitiveness.
"Critical productive sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and mining were operating below full capacity utilisation due to foreign currency constraints in the importation of critical raw materials and inputs such as fuel and electricity.
"Further, as the world is increasingly beginning to accept, our poor economic performance had part of its origins in the illegal declared and undeclared sanctions unilaterally imposed against our country, by those still craving for racial imbalances in the means of production, including our natural resource of land."
He said this had resulted in the deterioration of infrastructure but the State would continue to improve people's conditions.
"This is because Government realises that the housing development process has multiplier effects on overall economic indices.
"A case in point is Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle, which at its peak directly generated more than 8 000 jobs countrywide," he said.
He said more than half of the world's population lived in urban centres while in Zimbabwe, because of the urban influx, more than one million family units were required to offset the housing backlog.
"Our urban housing backlog stands at over one million family units against the current urban population estimated to be increasing at the rate of between 6 to 7 percent every year," he said.
President Mugabe attributed the huge housing backlog to increased rural-urban migration, a high population growth rate estimated at 3,1 percent per year, the high cost of building materials, shortage of housing finance and unaffordable mortgage interest rates and lack of capacity by many councils to deliver housing.
He said as a result, occupancy rates of around 12 people per 200 square metre stand were being experienced in middle- and high-density areas against a recommendation of six.
He chronicled Government housing policies and programmes since 1980, pointing out Government's commitment to the provision of decent, affordable and functional housing.
The thrust emphasised home ownership, Pay-For-Your-House, housing upgrading and the national housing delivery programme.
"The home ownership policy was very successful to the extent that it enabled the hitherto marginalised black majority to own property in urban areas and to use it as collateral where necessary," he said.
The housing upgrading programme saw the improvement of housing estates in Mbare Annex, Iminyela in Mabutweni, Sakubva in Mutare, Makusha in Shurugwi, Rimuka in Kadoma, "Baghdad" in Victoria Falls and Mahombekombe in Kariba.
The most recent housing programme was Operation Garikai which delivered 4 205 completed core housing units and another 3 000 that were parcelled out at various stages of construction.
President Mugabe said the programme was a massive success despite Western propaganda.
"Far from the insincere claims of those seeking cheap political mileage, it was never the intention of Government, then or now, to deliberately place people in situations of hardship.
"Beneficiaries were drawn from the housing waiting lists of local authorities with priority given to the families affected by Operation Restore Order," he said.
In a speech read on her behalf by Mr David Kithakye, UN-Habitat executive secretary Mrs Anna Tibaijuka said the convention should tackle such key issues as land, infrastructure and finance.
"To achieve effective housing delivery there is need to put in place clear inclusive policies, that enable all the people -- the poor, the vulnerable, the rich and so rich -- to be part of the process.
"Where policies have not been truly inclusive, the poor have been forced out into slums and illegal settlements," she said.
National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Fidelis Mhashu thanked President Mugabe for gracing the convention, addressing him as Commander-in-Chief and His Excellency.
"Your attendance today at this convention is a great inspiration to us all and highlights the importance and favoured status to which you attach the issue of low-cost and pro-poor housing provision.
"Our egos have been raised, and the momentum to want to achieve upheld," he said.
The Swedish Development Association, UNDP, and UN-Habitat in conjunction with the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities organised the convention.
Over 300 local and international delegates, including Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo, his lands counterpart Herbert Murerwa, provincial governors, mayors, chairpersons of local authorities and MDC-T MP Evelyn Masaiti attended the official opening.
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