The Sunday Mail
Harmony Agere
Zimbabwe should move away from the expensive conventional building materials such as brick and mortar and adopt low-cost materials such as timber, steel and aluminum, experts have said. The move will help reduce the cost of building or buying houses in urban areas. While the construction of a standard low cost four-roomed house in Zimbabwe costs $20 000 on average, those in the construction industry have highlighted that one can build the same house for half the cost using other building materials such as imison boards, timber and wall claddings that can make the foundation lighter and cheaper.
Experts have also argued that what is referred to as low-cost housing in Zimbabwe is still expensive due to the expensive brick and mortar building materials. The reduction in building costs could ultimately reduce the decades-old urban housing shortage which currently stands at 1, 2 million units.
Past low-cost projects by both the Government and the private sector to address the shortage have failed to yield desired results. For instance, CABS’s low-cost housing mortgage scheme in Harare’s Budiriro high-density suburb is struggling to find takers as it is deemed unaffordable by many at $22 200 for a two-bedroomed housing unit.
“What we refer to as low-cost housing is way too expensive for the poor,” Zimbabwe Institute of Regional and Urban Planners president, Mr Percy Toriro said. “For us to achieve real low-cost housing, we must embrace a multiplicity of construction materials that give us more cost-effectiveness. We need to look beyond the bricks and mortar,” he said.
“We are just obsessed with unsustainable standards,” charged Mr Toriro. “Even the British have since moved on and no longer solely rely on brick and mortar. “We can not afford to continue using these old and wasteful technologies. Let us adopt new and more cost-effective technologies.”
Lecturer in the Department of Rural and Urban Development at the University of Zimbabwe, Mr Nyasha Mutsindikwa concurred with Mr Toriro but warned that climate should be put into consideration.
“It’s feasible to have building materials such as timber, steel and aluminium substituting bricks and mortar in the construction of low-cost buildings but we need to consider our local context,” he said. “Let’s look at our climate, the houses’ durability, comfort, safety and life cycle maintenance.
“We must not only be limited to the actual construction costs when making such decisions. “While the alternatives can seem cheap, they can be expensive in the long run.
“In Kuwadzana Phase 4 (Extension), the Light Gauge Steel Framing technology was used to provide low cost housing. To date, some of the houses are in a deplorable state and some of the house owners have gone back to brick and mortar,” he said.
Mr Mutsindikwa stressed that low cost housing technology must not be adopted in cases were it compromises quality. But Mr Toriro said Zimbabwe has the right climate to suit low-cost building materials.
“We have a moderate climate, much harsher ones use other simpler and cheaper building materials and the houses are still safe,” he said. Research shows that Zimbabwe enjoys a lovely climate. During the wet season, from November to March, rains usually fall in heavy showers, but they can sometimes be lighter.
The winter season is pretty much rain free and colder. While nights and mornings can be a bit chilly, daytime temperatures are still pleasant with a great deal of sunshine.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Engineer George Mlilo said Government is open to the adoption of any new building technology that is safe.
“We welcome any material brought forward but it has to be tested before being regularised,” he said.
“Those who have any innovative technologies are free to bring them forward so that we can interrogate them and see if they can be useful and safe,” said Eng Mlilo.
However, he said he has observed that most Zimbabweans prefer brick and mortar buildings.
City of Harare acting corporate communications officer, Mr Michael Chideme also said city council allows the use of alternative building material.
“Besides brick and mortar, the city also allows the building of houses using the frame-tech building system.
“Such houses are built on steel frames and approved plaster boards. The boards must be one hour fire resistant, water and sound proof.
“The thickness vary from high density to low density areas. In high density areas, the thickness of the wall must be 115mm and in low density areas, as long as the structure exceeds 60 cubic metres, the wall must be 230 mm thick,” he said.
Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp) general manager, Mr Bright Mudzova said while he supports the need for low cost projects, people should not overlook other associated costs.
“Before any piece can be sold to any individual, there are so many processes that are conducted and these are used to determine the final cost of land,” he said.
“These include topographical surveys, land clearance, planning the residential area and pegging of the stands; all these processes are expensive.”
It however, remains to be seen if low-cost technology will be accepted by the generality of Zimbabwe.
