Doctors’ housing project enters home stretch

CONSTRUCTION of four high-rise residential flats with 64 units for public sector doctors under the first phase of the Manresa Doctors Village project is nearing completion.

The second phase of the project, which is being spearheaded by Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp), will witness the development of a further 112 units early next year.

Udcorp chief executive officer Mr Joey Shumbamhini said the parastatal had sunk US$4 million into the first phase.

“Udcorp is constructing high-rise flats for doctors in Manresa under a project which the Ministry of Health and Child Care is the offtaker,” he said.

“Phase one consists of four blocks with 64 units and is now 92 percent complete.

“Udcorp has so far invested US$4 million into the first phase and the estimated cost to complete the project is around US$4,2 million.

“Seven more blocks will be built under phase two of the project and they will house 112 doctors.”

Udcorp, he said, was transforming to realign the parastatal’s operations with its original mandate.

“Very few people know that there is Udcorp that is also contributing to housing delivery. Our image was previously tainted because of our other projects that did not go well,” he said.

“We thought we needed to transform the organisation and bring it to the original Udcorp of 1986. So, the transformational programme we are working on includes the projects that were stopped because of Covid-19 and also increasing our land bank for more projects.”

National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe said the parastatal’s mandate was to improve people’s standards of living. “Since its inception, Udcorp has successfully carried out housing projects around the country, chief among them the Bindura Nandi Villas, Marondera Cherutombo Flats, Harare Tongogara Flats, Chikanga-Mutare Housing project, among others,” said Minister Garwe.

“These projects serve as a testament to the organisation’s commitment to excellence and its ability to deliver on its mandate.”

Zimbabwe’s housing backlog stands at 1,5 million units. Over the last five years, the Government has delivered more than 220 000 housing units.

Overall, it is targeting to deliver one million units by 2025.The parastatal’s projects, Minister Garwe added, will contribute immensely to national housing delivery.

“We are on a journey to transform Udcorp for better delivery towards National Development Strategy 1.

“In our commitment to deliver housing for all, we are also focused on the resuscitation of uncompleted projects under the parastatal’s purview, namely, Knockmalloch Housing projects, Manresa Doctors Village and Riverside Chitungwiza,” he said.

“We have put in place measures to ensure that these projects are given the attention they deserve under the guidance of my ministry.

“We are determined to see these projects through to completion, providing muchneeded housing and social amenities to our communities.”