Byo Councillor calls for home ownership scheme to tackle housing crisis

A Bulawayo councillor has called for rental housing in Iminyela and Mabutweni to be converted into home ownership as part of efforts to ease the city’s deepening housing crisis.

Speaking during a full council meeting on 2 April, Ward 13 Councillor Lovewell Mwinde said the city needed to urgently explore long-term solutions, including the renovation of disused properties and reforms to outdated tenancy schemes.

“Iminyela and Mabutweni flats were constructed in 1948, with occupation beginning in 1952 under a rented accommodation scheme,” he said.

“After independence in 1980, several properties were converted to home ownership. Iminyela and Mabutweni must now follow suit. Vundu Flats should be renovated and turned into tied accommodation.”

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Councillors heard that more than 141,000 people are currently on the housing waiting list — a figure that continues to grow.

The backlog has been worsened by delays in servicing areas like Magwegwe, where residents protested earlier this year. Many had paid for residential stands years ago, but statutory changes and rising inflation have devalued their contributions.

Councillor Thandiwe Moyo noted that some affected residents had appealed to be resettled in the long-abandoned Vundu Flats.

“We’re displacing families for road expansion. Let’s renovate Vundu Flats and resettle them properly,” she said.

Mayor David Coltart endorsed the proposals to transform long-standing rental zones into ownership schemes.

“These homes were built in the 1940s. It’s time we give people a chance to own them,” he said.

However, the mayor warned that housing delivery remained constrained by inflation, budgetary delays and limited access to land.

Ward 23 Councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo also raised concern over the affordability of land for council staff.

“Most council workers do not have accommodation. Many cannot afford to purchase a residential stand,” she said.

The city had set a target of releasing 3,000 residential stands annually, but councillors admitted this goal had not been met.

To improve transparency, Mayor Coltart proposed the development of a digital platform to handle housing applications and monitoring.

“A system should be developed for applications to be submitted and tracked online. Council also needs to update its records on home seekers across the city,” he said.