The city council argued that under existing bylaws, the houses could not be occupied without proper sanitation, but the government was determined to fast-track the scheme.
Almost six years later, the council has not yet provided water, sewage services or roads.
We do not understand why the council is failing to provide these essential services to us. We are paying our monthly instalments, but right now we do not have water, proper toilets as well sewage facilities. We feel someone is out to sabotage this programme. Said resident Machel Ncube.
Misheck Dube said most of the residents in the area had now resorted to bush toilets and fetching water from unprotected water sources because there was no running water.
At the inception of the programme, the minister of local government and national housing, Ignatius Chombo, openly clashed with the then Bulawayo executive mayor, Japhet Ndabeni Ncube, over the criteria used in allocating stands in the suburb.
Go-slow at border affects business
MUSINA A go-slow by South Africas disgruntled home affairs officers at the Limpopo border-post has caused chaos for travellers.
Traffic jams and long, winding queues mean crossing the border can take as long as 24 hours a situation that traders say is losing their businesses millions of US dollars.
The problems started last Wednesday, but have spilled over to this week as more and more cross-border buses and commercial haulage trucks join the queues. Some have been there for three days.
What matters most is the fact that travellers are forced to incur lots of unnecessary expenses in food purchasing. This untimely go-slow has brought lots of suffering and we demand some respect, said Munaye Virimayi of Hatfield, Harare.
Virimayi claimed that he has been at the Musina/Beitbridge border-post for two days and had already lost his clients, who travelled from Lumbumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo to buy water treatment chemicals from him.
Judith Muzokomba also said she had been made to stay at the South African border side for more than 24 hours.
On the Zimbabwean side, business is quite normal and the Zimra officers are very efficient. We only get worried when we are on the other side of the border, which is the South African part. Sometimes you see only two immigration officers attending to a queue of more than 3,000 people, said Muzokomba.
Home Affairs officials said their action was a way of sending a clear message that hey wanted better salaries and working conditions.
We are doing this in order to have food on our tables. Our government is insensitive to our plight, said one immigration officer. CAJ News
Post published in: Analysis