The Sunday Mail
Richard Muponde
FLOOD victims in Budiriro will soon have a roof over their heads, as blocks of flats being constructed by the Government in Dzivarasekwa are now at roof level.
Civil works, which include roads, sewer and water reticulation, are on the verge of completion, with the project set to meet the June deadline.
Dozens of families were left homeless after being hit by flash floods last year, prompting Government to evacuate them and house them at a training centre as alternative accommodation was being sought out.
The affected area is located on a wetland, and is notorious for flooding, crocodiles and snakes during the rainy season.
However, Government identified alternative accommodation for them and started building the Dzivarasekwa blocks of flats through the Ministry of National Housing and Amenities under the broader project of providing 220 000 housing units by 2025.
Responding to questions by The Sunday Mail, the Minister of National Housing and Amenities, Daniel Garwe said the contractor had covered a lot of ground as the blocks of flats are now at roof level.
“Four blocks of flats are being constructed and each block consists of 12 units to be completed by the end of June 2022. The intended beneficiaries are Budiriro flood victims. The contractor is currently working on the roofing,” Minister Garwe said.
He said currently, they are installing electrical tubing to the completed blocks, while also working on four other blocks, three of which are at partitioning level.
One is at concrete level.
“Activities currently underway are finishing up on decking so that they can put the concrete for block 10. Partitioning walls on block 7, 8, and 9 and putting electrical tubing on the completed blocks of flats” he said
Minister Garwe said there has been a tremendous progress of the servicing of roads, sewer and water reticulation, which are expected to be completed soon.
“Sewer line 900 metres laid from 1 350 metres and the percentage of completion is 65 percent. Water line 500 metres laid from 1 350 metres and the percentage of completion is 30 percent. All roads around Dzivarasekwa have fill layers and subgrade layers and the percentage of completion is 35 percent,” Minister Garwe said.
Last August, Cabinet approved a new building technology, which is being tried out in the Dzivarasekwa complex of over 1 400 flats that Treasury has already allocated US$1 billion.
The use of new technology in housing construction is part of the strategy to speed up home building as it allows costs to be cut, at times by as much as half.
The Dzivarasekwa blocks of flats project, involves two options, namely: brick and mortar, and concrete and the housing designs will involve two and three-bedroomed flats, with social amenities such as water and sewer reticulation and electricity from renewable energy.
The designs fit well into the Smart City concept and the alternative technology will expedite works.
Construction materials will be produced locally, with the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) manufacturing the formers for the walling blocks.
88 blocks of flats are set to be built in Dzivarasekwa, each block with 16 flats to give a total of 1 408 flats.
Some of the areas that will instantly benefit are former Messengers’ Camps in Highfield, Harare, and Senga in Gweru, to be followed by a similar regeneration programmes across the country.
