Lupane town development gathers pace
THE surge towards making Lupane the provincial capital of Matabeleland North is gathering momentum with the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) having been tasked with redesigning a new master plan for the town.
This is in line with the Zim Asset’s thrust on infrastructure development and is expected to see an ease of doing business and decentralisation of Government services. The new plan will see the town expanding to a radius of between seven and 10 kilometres to cater for its intended growth which will be boosted by the relocation of Lupane State University while a number of key projects are expected to emerge around the town. Since its establishment, Lupane Centre has never had a Master Plan or Structure Plan. The Local Development Plan was concluded in October 2001 and Strategic Plan (2015-2020) to guide spatial development and growth respectively.
However, in the latest developments, Nust has been appointed as the lead consultant in the drafting of the new plan, which is envisaged to spearhead the growth of the town, from just being a centre to becoming a major town in the country.
According to an initial report drafted by the Nust Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design the main goal of the new Master Plan is to create a development vision for Lupane and further serve as a coordinating tool for all development programmes in the town.
“As the provincial capital, Lupane Town Board has experienced exponential demand for land for housing, Government buildings and investment thereby putting pressure on the pertinent authorities to make land available. Major developments such as Elitsheni Provincial Government Office, Lupane State University, Lupane Provincial Hospital, Lupane Provincial Registry Office, Vocational Training Centre, Teachers College, Polytechnic College and its declaration as the capital of Matabeleland North have increased land demands against dwindling supplies hence the need for a new Master Plan,” reads the report.
One of the attributes for the Master Plan will be to come up with functional and sustainable human settlements that thrive as places to live in, work in, and conduct business and commerce as well as attracting investments.
“Also efforts are being made to secure knowledge and certainty, health, safety and the general welfare of residents in a sustainable manner. The preparation of the Master Plan shall be in line with land use principles such as efficiency, economy, functionality and sustainable development and economic growth.
“Sustainable development and growth strive to create a balance between human and natural ecosystems through the preservation of ecosystem integrity including the capacity of natural systems to maintain their structure and to support biological diversity; the respect for the right of future generations to the sustainable use of resources; and the attainment of durable rights and equitable social and economic benefits,” reads the report.
In an interview with Sunday News chairperson of the Nust department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design Mr Anastance Ncube, who is leading the Nust team, said everything was now in place for them to come up with the new Master Plan. He said their goal was to develop a town which would live up to its billing as a provincial and educational capital.
“We have a huge but achievable task ahead of us but already we have hit the ground running. If all goes according to plan we expect to complete everything and submit a final copy of the Master plan in April next year. This document is being prepared in accordance with the fundamental imperatives of Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio — Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) where it shall encapsulate and embrace the Food Security and Nutrition, Social Services and Poverty Eradication, Infrastructure and Utilities and the Value Addition and Beneficiation Clusters,” said Mr Ncube.
He said according to their plan of work there would be the Inception Report Stage, which they were finalising, the report of survey stage, the draft master plan stage, draft final master plan and the final master plan.
“In terms of the actual implementation we are giving the master plan a timeline of 20 years, after which it can be reviewed noting that by then the town would have already expanded beyond our current radius of between seven and 10 kilometres.
“But for now my team will ensure that they carry out a thorough investigation into the area’s natural system specifically focusing on its land systems — geology, topography, slope and soil); air systems (climate, rainfall, temperature, wind and vegetation — water systems, in a logical sequence and the natural and cultural sense of the area, so as to ensure its sustainability,” added Mr Ncube.
In terms of valuation, Mr Ncube said they would only be able to determine the eventual value of the town once the whole process was complete. Lupane Town was granted Matabeleland North provincial capital status in the 90s but the development of the town has been sluggish mainly because of inadequate funding for infrastructural development, with people from the province being forced to travel all the way to Bulawayo to get key business and Government services.
Some of the major Government buildings that have since turned into white elephants are Elitsheni Government Complex, the registrar’s office and the house for the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs (Matabeleland North). When a Sunday News crew visited the town last Thursday it was noted that those buildings are now complete, save for the connection of water, sewer reticulation and electricity.
The registrar’s office building was completed over three years ago but no progress was made in having electricity installed despite electricity lines passing right next to the building. At Elitsheni Government Complex, which is supposed to accommodate most Government departments, most of the construction work is complete with a few workers dotted around doing minor touch ups. Although the crew was banned from entering the Minister’s house the security guard manning the house said it was completed last year, all that remained was the connection of services. The construction of the complex started in 2004. The former Governor for Matabeleland North Cde Thokozile Mathuthu, concerned about the distance people in her province were traveling to seek services from her offices in Bulawayo, in 2006 relocated to Lupane despite the fact that she had no offices or house in the town. She and some Government departments had to squeeze themselves at the District Administrator’s offices so that people in the province could access services from her office in the town.