The government of Zimbabwe will prioritise housing provision in its reconstruction efforts, a cabinet minister disclosed here today.  | Owners demolishing a house in Epworth, Harare, Zimbabwe Pic © UN-HABITAT |
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the 22nd Session of the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT, National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Fidelis Mhashu said that his country which is just coming out of a deep political crisis accompanied with a historical inflation rate was doing its best to recover. “In order to jumpstart this mammoth task the new government has adopted the ‘short term recovery programme’ which spells out the sectors that need urgent action. Housing is one such sector that has been prioritised,” he said. Mhasu who was accompanied by senior government officials appealed to international partners to invest in Zimbabwe saying that those investing in housing would be adequately covered for their parcels of land. He said his government was guaranteeing security of tenure. The minister disclosed that his government required about 10 billion USD for its recovery and said they were ready to engage with international partners towards that endeavour. The Mayor of Harare Muchadeyi Masunda said that despite the sad chapter of his country’s recent history, the infrastructure could be salvaged. “It is not that we are starting from scratch. We will only be upgrading run down infrastructure and our country still has one of the best water treatment plants which not only supplies water but also recycles it,” he said.
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