Gweru City Council to develop master plan for growth, expansion

Source: Gweru City Council to develop master plan for growth, expansion | The Sunday News April 21, 2019

Sukoluhle Ndlovu, Midlands Correspondent

GWERU City Council is set to develop master plans to enable growth and expansion of the town, as the council works towards achieving its vision of being a sustainable city choice by 2030, Gweru Mayor Clr Josiah Makombe has said.

On a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Mayor Clr Cleopas Shiri, during a service level bench marking meeting held last Tuesday, Clr Makombe said sprouting of peri-urban settlements was a result of poor planning.

“Gweru City council is considering developing master plans to enable long-term planning for growth and expansion, taking into consideration population and capacity of council to serve that population.

“The current mushrooming of peri-urban settlements in the city is partly attributed to absence of operational master plans.  Master plans allow cities to plan for future growth and expansion, thereby planning delivery of these key issues, like water and refusal removal among others,” he said.

Clr Makombe who is also President of Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe, encouraged residents to take part in governance issues pertaining the city.

Last year, a service level bench marking peer review report revealed that Gweru City Council was losing at least 57 percent of its treated water through burst pipes and leakages, as most of the city’s equipment has outlived its lifespan.