The Chronicle

GWELO, Thursday, September 7, 1967 — Thornhill aerodrome, two miles from Gwelo and which is used by RAAF, should be turned over the housing development to meet the chronic shortage of sites in the town, says Gwelo builder Mr Jack Smith.

Gwelo estate agents have no empty houses on their books, and have few sites for building within reasonable distance from the town.

Land available at Lundi Park, is also along the Gwelo River, between the Umvuma Road and Selukwe Road.

But Mr Smith says: “I believe that Thornhill is the housing suburb of the future as far as Gwelo is concerned and I suggest that the municipality should consider asking the government to move the aerodrome in the very near future.

“I feel that in this modern age of jets, two miles as the crow flies is too close for an airport. Bulawayo and Salisbury moved theirs well away from town and I think the same should be done as far as Gwelo is concerned”, he said.

“Thousands of houses could be built on an aerodrome site, all of them being from three to five miles from Gwelo by road. It is the long term view I am taking, but surely that is the view we must take”.

Builders in Gwelo, both main and sub-contractors, were fully employed at the moment and their problem was not a shortage of work but an acute shortage of skilled artisans-such as electricians, carpenters and plumbers.

These contractors were mostly employed on government work —African housing and Amenities. Most of the older type house s sold in Gwelo, says Mr Smith, were sold more for their site value than for the house value.

Prices increased to a level of the cost of a new house and consequently quite a number of people were thinking about having a house built.