Traditionally, residential houses are built some respectful distance from graveyards. However, the local authority has had little choice but to develop new areas for both commercial and residential purposes bordering the graveyard.
Concerned residents recently called on The Zimbabwean to investigate. The latest housing units at Chitepo Suburb are barely 10 metres from graves and both the cemetery and residential stands continue to encroach on the land demarcated for the cemetery.
“Imagine families living in grave yards,” said one resident. “As if the council has run out of virgin land which can be converted for residential purposes. To make the whole situation worse, this is happening a stone’s throw from Hunyani Timberlands where the council announced it would allocate some 13 000 residential stands to the homeless.”
Town Mayor Farai Nyandoro professed ignorance of the development and after making enquiries said the situation was a result of residents who bought burial land in advance and the allocation of residential stands to buyers by a private company.
“Stands being allocated now and approaching the cemetery were handed over as part payment to a company which serviced the Rusike phase one housing project. The company sold the properties as it wished and people were only building houses now, since they could afford to do so following the introduction of the multiple currencies. Coincidentally, owners of reserved graves continued to bury their dead on purchased land at the cemetery. I would like to believe that no new houses would be built towards the grave yard and the same would apply to the graves,” said Nyandoro.
Nyandoro pointed out that the current clash of interests between graves and residential properties was as a result of town planning arrangements made by the former Zanu (PF) council.
Council housing committee chairperson, Councillor Carlos Mudzongo, said there was nothing sinister about people living close to graves.
To help fight the acute shortage of residential properties, a full council meeting last week resolved to award tenders to three companies as a matter of urgency, for the development of 13,000 residential stands at Hunyani Lands.
A topographical survey and other preliminary ground inspections were done several months ago.
Observers said Zanu (PF) aligned council management would do everything within its powers to frustrate initiatives by MDC city fathers to provide for the welfare of poor residents.
“It would be a miracle if the Hunyani Housing Project sees light of the day. Zanu (PF) front men and council technocrats could throw spanners into the project,” said one local.
The Marondera housing list continues to grow and is fast approaching the 20,000 mark. The majority of the town’s estimated 125,000 residents are tenants who do not have decent shelter of their own.
Post published in: News