Source: Govt announces paradigm shift on housing | The Herald June 3, 2017
Felex Share and Tendai Mugabe—
President Mugabe has called for a paradigm shift in the provision of housing where Government concentrates on building high-rise apartments, instead of expending more land building single-story houses. Speaking at the inaugural, Presidential Youth Interface Meeting at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera yesterday, President Mugabe said the wanton distribution of land to people by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing should stop.
Land, he said, was a finite resource and future generations would end up having nowhere to stay.
The interactive meetings, to be held in all 10 provinces, are being organised by the zanu-pf Youth League.
“Land in urban areas is inadequate for us to parcel out to you,” said President Mugabe.
“We want to have a programme where we build apartments. Ndakanzwa mukuru wenyu achiti makatemerwa naVaKasukuwere (Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister) kuManyame uko uko.
“Ndinonyunyuta nenyaya yacho nekuti tikaramba tichidaro hapana kwatinosvika. You are wedding and having children and your children will in turn have their own kids. If we give stands, it is all the land that will be going and will the future generation get the stands?”
President Mugabe castigated those who were amassing residential stands for business purposes, while others had nowhere to stay.
“There are some amongst us who already have somewhere to stay, but need stands for them to put lodgers, to trade in or to do business,” President Mugabe said.
“After we give them they start making money. We don’t want that. We will be giving you (land) to have somewhere to call your own home not to do business. Our country is not that big, that’s what we have.
“Zvekuti tirambe tichibuda mudhorobha tirambe tichiita mastands aaah hazvina kunaka. Let’s have apartments, get together in groups of four or five.”
President Mugabe said the land audit being carried out by Government would see the number of people owning land for agricultural purposes increasing.
“We are going to cut the farms of those not utilising them and those with multiple farms,” he said.
“We are doing that after having an audit of those farms not fully using the land. Government is not taking the land completely from you, but we want to give others who do not have.”
President Mugabe said there were about 73 white farmers remaining in Mashonaland East who were being protected by former Governor and Resident Minister Ray Kaukonde.
“We are looking at all the provinces to see where there are still some whites,” he said. “Here they were hidden and that’s the only issue we deride Mashonaland East for.
“We are looking at the issue such that those who need land will benefit also. We are going to give our youths small pieces of land. We cannot give you large tracts of land because for now, you do not have the capacity to work on it. Some of you are still single. Therefore, you cannot productively till on your own.”
President Mugabe said some people had large pieces of land, which they were failing to utilise and were sub-contracting white farmers.
This, he said, was distorting the land reform programme and traditional leaders had to be on the lookout for such people.
“This is what is happening and I am not lying,” he said. “If not selling, they are agreeing that the whites farm on their behalf in return of a token of appreciation. They pretend to stay in towns, but at night plan these shenanigans.”
Turning to war veterans, President Mugabe said when Zimbabwe gained independence the warvets made their request and were given land.
“They must stop complaining as if Government never did anything for them,” he said. “We did and we are still working on meeting their demands. We agreed that 20 percent of all the acquired land is reserved for veterans of the liberation struggle.”
President Mugabe said Command Agriculture and the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme showed that Zanu-PF had people oriented programmes.
“Command Agriculture pleased even the heavens and floodgates of rains were opened,” he said. “We received good rains and even those who did not take part in the Command Agriculture programme are looking forward to a good harvest.
“Now that Command Agriculture has given us good yields on grain crops, let us extend it to wheat, we will have all the bread we want in the country. It’s not a command like that in the military, it is a command to show each other the way of farming. Rimai makadai, shandai makadai, dyarai mbeu yacho panguva yakadai.”
Government has since stopped importing maize because of Command Agriculture, the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme, the good rains and the hard work put in by farmers, which have seen the country exceeding its targets for cereals this season.
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