Gweru City Council Drops the Hammer on Underperforming Mkoba 21 Developers[Imager Credit: Newsday]

City Crisis Unveiled: Gweru City Council Drops the Hammer on Underperforming Mkoba 21 Developers

Gweru City Council has issued a stern warning to the underperforming land developers involved in the Mkoba 21 housing project, which has remained incomplete for over a decade.

Stalled Housing Project

The beneficiaries of the Mkoba 21 housing project bought their stands ten years ago. Regrettably, the land remains unserviced, hindering construction. Mayor Martin Chivhoko intends to engage developers and review their contracts.

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Contract Revisions and Potential Cancellations

[Image Credit: Newsday]
Chivhoko stated, “We are engaging our developers because we want to re-look at contracts that were signed between the council and them.” He further emphasized that if necessary, the council would terminate contracts with developers who were not actively working on the project. With approximately 6,000 stands the council plans to incentivize developers who complete their work by offering an additional 1,000 stands.

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Long Overdue Agreements

Last year, the council finally provided beneficiaries of the Mkoba 21 stands with agreement of sale contracts, nine years after the initial purchase of the properties. In 2018, frustrated by the slow pace of land servicing, some recipients even considered withdrawing from the project.

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Delays and Environmental Impact Assessments

The servicing of the stands faced delays as the land developers contracted by the council encountered difficulties in obtaining environmental impact assessment certificates. CASAS, Wackdrive, and Sheasham were the three developers selected to develop the residential stands.

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As the Gweru City Council takes a stand against underperforming developers, the fate of the long-awaited Mkoba 21 housing project hangs in the balance.