Government should take over allocation of residential stands: Former Marondera Mayor

By Archford Chirimudombo
MARONDERA- Former Marondera Mayor Farai Nyandoro believes that Government
should take over the allocation of residential stands in urban areas as current local
authorities led by the opposition have failed to provide shelter for home seekers.
Nyandoro who is the vice national chairman of the Emmanuel Chiroto-led Former
Mayors Association of Zimbabwe (FOMAZ) told Chaminuka that the councils were
weaponising land and awarding it corruptly to undeserving individuals at the expense
of those who are on the waiting list.
He gave an example of the Municipality of Marondera which he said has a ballooning
waiting list.
“When I left the Municipality of Marondera, the housing waiting list was 16 000 but it
is ballooning yet the deserving people are not being given stands. That is why as
former Mayors of various towns across Zimbabwe, we came together and formed
FOMAZ as we have an informed appreciation of how councils operate. The issue of
land especially in major towns remains topical hence we then initiated the concept of
HomeSeekers4ED.
“We are making great strides in our quest to have people in urban areas get
residential stands so that they can build their own homes. President Mnangagwa
declared a state of emergency for our roads and introduced the Emergency Roads
Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP). As HomeSeekers4ED, we want a state of
emergency to be declared for stands.
“There is corruption and nepotism when it comes to the distribution of stands in
towns and cities. We are pushing for Government to take over the allocation of
stands because the current policy makers and even management at the local
authorities are weaponising land to get votes in the upcoming general elections,”
Nyandoro said.
The former Mayor of Mashonaland East province’s capital also opined that apolitical
commissions should be appointed to oversee non-partisan of allocation of residential
stands.
Marondera’s housing waiting list hit past the 20 000-mark last year and the local
authority says it has plans to allocate stands at Hunyani Timberland.
Shelter is a fundamental human right as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and
the International Convention on Human Rights.

Meanwhile, Nyandoro said President Mnangagwa should be given another mandate
to rule the country as he has proved to be a listening President with the interests of
the people at heart.
“President Mnangagwa deserves another chance to rule so that he completes that
projects that were started by the Second Republic. A lot of developmental and
infrastructural projects have been carried out. Roads, bridges, dams, schools, health
institutions and other amenities have either been constructed or rehabilitated.
“He was also at the forefront of initiating intervention when the country was hit by the
devastating Cyclone Eline and introduced interventions that saved lives. During the
COVID-19 period, he made every effort to ensure that regulations that saved lives
are followed at a time the opposition party was only focussing on by-elections.
President Mnangagwa cares for the welfare of future generation while the opposition
only focusses on the next elections even in the midst of a pandemic or disaster,” he
said.