The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
CONSTRUCTION of permanent houses by Government for Cyclone Idai survivors living in makeshift tents in Chimanimani has been delayed by failure to supply roofing material by a Bulawayo-based company, as well as the annual shutdown of the construction industry, The Manica Post has learnt.
After being let down by partners who had pledged to construct houses for survivors of the tropical storm last year, Government undertook to build the houses in a phased approach.
The first phase of 20 houses is at roofing stage, while the second phase has 35 houses that are at different stages of construction.
Manicaland Provincial Development Co-ordinator, Mr Edgars Seenza, this week confirmed that a Bulawayo-based construction company failed to supply the roofing material in time.
“The major challenge we encountered in completing the first phase of the 20 houses is that a Bulawayo-based company failed to supply the roofing material in time. This meant that we could not complete in the anticipated timeframe.
“This was also affected by the annual construction industry shutdown. Workers will only be returning to work after the prescribed shutdown dates,” said Mr Seenza.
When The Manica Post visited the West End site near Nhedziwa where the houses are being constructed on Tuesday, the place was deserted, with one of the 20 houses under the first phase roofed.
Roads to the area are fast deteriorating as gullies are forming due to the heavy rains being received.
A worker at the site told this newspaper that they stopped construction work on December 15 and were told to report for duty on January 18.
Mr Seenza said the projection to have temporary, but safer prefabricated houses by end of November was also futile as a development partner also failed to live up to its pledge.
“We also had anticipated to have prefabricated houses that are relatively safer and more comfortable than tents by end of November, but unfortunately a development partner could not live up to the pledge it had made,” he said.
Mr Seenza said Government is generally happy with the progress, given that a permanent solution is on the way and will soon materialise.
In line with the “Building Back Better” policy adopted by Government in its disaster recovery efforts after the March 2019 tropical cyclone, four-roomed houses are being built.
The Government — through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works — is building the modern structures at West End Farm near Nedziwa Business Centre in Chimanimani.
