CHIRUNDU local board has moved to repossess more than 60 stands that have not been developed in the last five years as it seeks to implement its development plan. The repossession is aimed at curbing speculative activities involving the stands.

In an interview yesterday, local board administrator Mr Wilson Gunhe accused the stand holders of defaulting on rates payment.

"We are repossessing stands that have not been developed in the last five years after they were allocated. We are not benefiting anything from them (stand owners) as a board from the non-development," he said.

Stand holders have been given until the end of the month to explain why they have not developed their properties or the local board would re-allocate them.

The border town of Chirundu has a modest 500 people on the housing waiting list with alternative land earmarked for residential and commercial stands development.

He said some people were developing their properties and the town had seen an increase in construction activity in the last two years but the exorbitant prices of building material in the town were a cause for concern.

"We are very far from other towns and the cost of building material in the town has negatively affected the rate at which we are developing.

"If people have to seek alternatives it would mean going to Karoi which is over 150km away which makes it even more expensive," he said.