Chivhu town bans use of farm bricks

CHIKOMBA — The ban on the use of farm bricks for building houses in Chivhu takes effect on Saturday following the end of a six-month grace period granted in July this year.

Chikomba Rural District Council (RDC) chairperson Israel Dhikinya said council was, with effect from January 1, 2022, not going to inspect any housing projects built with farm bricks.

He told Masvingo Mirror that the ban on farm bricks was to ensure construction of standard structures.

He said more than 20 houses were lost in Chivhu last year alone due to floods and moulders of farm bricks were causing untold environmental damage.

The ban was agreed upon in June this year and stakeholders including Chivhu Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHIRRA) chaired by Collen Zvarevashe and Chikomba Informal Traders Association (CHITA) chaired by Shepherd Jongwe were consulted. A meeting was also held with farm brick moulders in which it was agreed that they were no longer going to mould substandard bricks after December 31, 2021.

Chivhu Residents and Ratepayers Alliance however, said that residents should also have been involved in such meetings.

“There is no turning back on the ban of farm bricks. We reached a resolution to ban farm bricks due to land degradation, sub-standard bricks that are causing problems during inspection, and poor quality bricks. Brick moulders are digging everywhere even in residential stands and those pits pose danger to children and deforestation is another major issue that was considered in making such a resolution,” Dhikinya said.

Jongwe argued that residents were not ready for standard cement bricks.