The government has launched a national regularisation programme premised at making sure that all informal sectors are in conformity line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 of transforming the country into an upper-middle-income economy.
The programme will be spearheaded by the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities and is likely to have a huge impact on the operations of land barons.
Addressing residents at the launch in Goromonzi South yesterday, National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe said the national programme would stop land barons from collecting money from unsuspecting home seekers. He added:
We want to see areas which are reserved for schools and other social amenities so that there is order. President Mnangagwa will hand over the houses to the owners. We want to see running water, sewage and proper roads.
There has been a rapid growth of population in towns and surrounding areas in the past few years, a development that resulted in the shortage of accommodation.
Land barons who usually have connections with political elites would claim to own residential stands even at undesignated areas and unsuspecting and seekers would buy the land and erect structures which would be destroyed later by local authorities.
More: The Herald