MASVINGO city council is failing to enforce sprucing up of buildings in the Central Business District (CBD) to meet world class standards as 90 percent of the properties are owned by exiled white Rhodesians, a senior official has said.
Town Clerk Adolf Gusha said the “sad reality” was forcing the country’s first urban settlement to leg behind in infrastructural development as most property owners are only receiving rentals from tenants without refurbishing the buildings.
He said the situation was also putting off investment in the city due to high rentals being charged by the exiled property owners.
“It is a sad reality that 90 percent of commercial buildings owners in the CBD are whites who now reside outside the country.
“Council could have loved to repossess the buildings and give it to new developers but they took tittle deeds with them leaving council’s hands tied,” Gusha said.
He said council was developing a new master plan which would see the central business district being expanded by unveiling more commercial stands for indigenous business people to construct world class buildings.
A Zanu PF-aligned local youth group, Zimbabwe Youth Council, said was high time the indigenisation program was applied to commercial property.
“From farms take over that was indigenisation, a number of companies were indigenised and many black Zimbabweans benefited and in mines it was a success.
“It’s high time the program be implemented in real estate particularly for the benefit of the younger generation,” said Talent Chivange – ZYCs Masvingo provincial chairperson.
