The shortage of affordable residential stands in Bulawayo is leaving residents vulnerable to land barons and potentially fraudulent property deals, councillors have warned.
The concerns are recorded in the latest Housing and Administration Monthly Report, with councillors calling on the local authority to increase the supply of affordable residential stands.
Ward 18 Councillor Felix Madzana said the failure by council to provide affordable stands had pushed residents towards private land dealers, exposing them to the risk of losing their money.
“Council has failed to provide affordable stands. The City’s residents have ended up purchasing stands from land barons risking losing their money,” Madzana said.
On this topic
Ward 10 Councillor Khalazani Ndlovu called on council to acquire machinery to enable it to service land for residential development and increase the supply of stands.
“Machinery should be acquired and Council should start servicing land for residential purposes,” Ndlovu said.
Ward 11 Councillor Susan Sithole also raised concerns over social media reports that some residents had bought stands on land subdivided outside the city.
She said the land had reportedly been used as collateral for a loan and that properties were subsequently attached after the owner failed to repay the debt.
“This piece of land has been used as collateral by the owner. The owner has failed to service the loan leading to the attachment of properties on that land,” Sithole said.
Ward 23 councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo supported calls for council to provide affordable residential stands, saying this would help protect residents from land scams.
Responding to the concerns, Assistant Director of Housing and Community Services Zakeu Sibanda said the social media reports related to a settlement outside Bulawayo, which falls under Umguza Rural District Council.
He urged residents to conduct due diligence before purchasing residential stands.
“Residents are encouraged to do due diligence when purchasing residential stands,” Sibanda said.
Acting Chamber Secretary Spekiwa Mugiya said council was also struggling to service residential land because of a shortage of equipment.
She said the high cost of servicing stands had made it difficult for the local authority to complete existing projects.
“The cost of servicing stands is very high. Council is struggling to complete the stands allocated through a Pre-sale scheme done some years back,” Mugiya said.
Leave a Reply