Civil servants housing scheme details out

Government workers will pay a minimum monthly contribution of US$150 under the Civil Service Housing Scheme, with construction scheduled to begin this year.

State officials and civil servants’ representatives, the Apex Council, settled on the contribution at a meeting in Harare last Thursday and will finalise other requirements this Tuesday. Our Harare Bureau understands the payment period depends on one’s age and the number of years served. Instalments will be paid through the Salaries Service Bureau via a stop order system.

Secretary for Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Engineer George Mlilo told our Harare Bureau, “We met the Apex Council and projected a monthly fee of US$150-plus. The rest of the figures will be finalised this coming Tuesday when we reconvene. We have agreed that we will start with model flats in Harare, Bulawayo and other provincial capitals. These models will guide actual prices of the flats.”

Mrs Cecilia Alexander, who chairs the Apex Council, could not be reached for comment. But a civil servant unionist who spoke on condition of anonymity said US$150 was “too steep” for Government employees who take home US$400 per month.

“If you take a civil servant’s net salary and subtract US$150, what will they be left with? It will not be enough to meet other minimal obligations such as rentals, utility bills, food and tuition fees. Civil servants want these houses, but the monthly deductions are not realistic for any civil servant.”

Government introduced the housing scheme last October as part of a package of non-financial incentives for its workforce.

Prices of flat units announced then range between US$32 000 and US$72 000 each, and authorities have identified land for the countrywide project, with high-rise buildings being prioritised.

Over 75 000 civil servants have registered for the scheme, which was structured after three days of engagement between civil servants and State negotiators.