Govt floats tender for civil servants houses

GOVERNMENT has floated a tender for the construction of model high-rise flats for civil servants, with the first blocks set to be built in Highfield, Harare.

The Highfield flats will be a test case expected to guide Government and its workers on pricing.

Other model flats will be built in every provincial capital.

The Highfield tender was floated by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

It closes on September 26 and the tenders will go through the State Procurement Board. According to the tender, the walk-up flats will be built at the Highfield Messengers Camp and a compulsory pre-tender site visit meeting will be held on September 11.

Apex Council secretary Mr David Dzatsunga yesterday said the civil servants housing scheme had reached operational stage.

The scheme is coming as a non-monetary incentive to the workers.

“We met the Government team last Thursday and it was agreed that the Highfield blocks will be a pilot project,” Mr Dzatsunga said.

“It is these flats which are going to give us a price guide. Other centres countrywide will also have model flats and the tenders will be floated on a site by site basis because each site has different specifications.

“Stop Orders will only be filled after the tenders go through because that is when we will have the actual prices and what workers have to contribute per month.”

A two-bedroomed apartment is expected to cost about $24 000.

The adjudication exercise will be handled by Government and workers’ representatives, three from each side to ensure transparency.

Government wants to minimise the allocation of residential stands and concentrate on building high-rise apartments.

It has identified land in cities and towns on which the civil servants flats would be built. The land is either owned by the State or councils, while in some areas it is already fully-serviced and ready for construction work to start.

Over 75 000 civil servants have registered to be part of the scheme and more are expected to come on board. Mr Dzatsunga said workers were happy with the progress registered on the scheme.

“In the past, we would talk about non-monetary incentives without anything tangible on the ground,” he said. “This is a different scenario now as we are witnessing progress weekly through our meetings.

“It is our hope that the project will not be hijacked by bigwigs as in the past. Intended beneficiaries have to profit. Many workers need accommodation and they are registering in numbers.”

Government is addressing the national housing backlog among civil servants in line with the Zim-Asset economic blueprint, which targets to provide 300 000 housing units by next year.

At least 500 000 civil servants are expected to benefit from the grand scheme, with financial institutions being roped in to offer affordable lines of credit. Government is also urging civil servants to take up residential stands being developed by the Infrastructural Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ).

IDBZ is developing housing projects in Harare, Masvingo, Kariba, Hwange, Kwekwe, as well as Gwanda, Plumtree and Beitbridge.