Eng Mnangagwa renovates dilapidated Mbare flats

Source: Eng Mnangagwa renovates dilapidated Mbare flats – herald

ED AID1 officials led by project chief executive officer Mr Brian Pande (third from left) are accompanied by Harare City Council officials, on a tour of some blocks at Matapi Flats in Mbare that are being renovated by Engineer Collins Takunda Mnangagwa

Freeman Razemba

Senior Reporter

ENGINEER Collins Takunda Mnangagwa has embarked on a comprehensive renovation project at the dilapidated Matapi Flats in Mbare, Harare, marking the beginning of a broader initiative to rehabilitate housing infrastructure in the historic high-density suburb.

The project, being implemented through ED AID 1, has seen Eng Mnangagwa dispatch a technical team led by project Chief Executive Officer Mr Brian Pande, accompanied by Mr Taurai Pande, Mr Chamunorwa Marufu and Mr Prince Munyaradzi Munangwa.

The team has already begun works at the 12-block complex, contracting local artisans to carry out plumbing repairs and repainting across the estate.

Speaking during an inspection visit, Mr Pande expressed appreciation for Eng Mnangagwa’s intervention in the long-neglected community.

“We recently visited these blocks of flats after Engineer Collins Takunda Mnangagwa sent us first to assess what needs to be done,” Mr Pande said.

“We have now begun conducting the works. The people here are happy, and this is the beginning of the project. We aim to renovate all the flats in and around this area in line with the mantra of leaving no place and no one behind”.

The renovation comes shortly after Eng Mnangagwa received national and continental recognition for his contributions to socio-economic development.

In May, he was awarded the Leadership in Socio-Economic Development and Community Empowerment accolade at the Community Builders in Africa Awards held in Harare.

A week earlier, the Chartered Institute of Project Management Zimbabwe had named him among the top 40 under-40 project managers in the country at a ceremony in the capital.

Stakeholders have noted that Eng Mnangagwa’s leadership approach balances commercial expansion with development interventions that focus on disadvantaged and marginalised groups.

As head of a diversified group with interests in mining, logistics and energy, he has been commended for driving strategic growth while supporting initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods in communities.

Over the years, he has overseen projects that have strengthened communities through job creation, local economic development and targeted social support programmes.

Built decades ago to accommodate thousands of residents, Matapi Flats have fallen into severe disrepair over the years.

The flats were designed to house about 3 000 people, but are now estimated to accommodate close to 13 000 residents — more than four times their holding capacity. This overcrowding has contributed to the rapid deterioration of infrastructure and living conditions.

Residents have complained about broken plumbing, collapsing walls, inadequate sanitation and unsafe electrical wiring. The conditions have been described as “unfit for human habitation” by housing advocates.

The current initiative by Eng Mnangagwa, utilising local contractors, represents a departure from past approaches and has been welcomed by community members who have waited for long for meaningful intervention.