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ADDRESS BY HON. E. D. MNANGAGWA
MINISTER OF RURAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES
AT THE BRIEFING FOR MASHONALAND CENTRAL JOINT
PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL MEETING
BINDURA 23 FEBRUARY 2006
The Provincial Governor and Resident Minister, Cde E. Masawi;
Cabinet Ministers;
Senators and Members of Parliament here present;
The Provincial Administrator;
Members of the Joint Provincial Development Committee and Provincial Council;
The Provincial Chairman for Mashonaland Central; Heads of Ministries here present; District Administrators
Heads of Development Partners in Mashonaland Central;
Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of Rural District Councils;
Councilors and Invited Guests; Comrades and Friends:
INTRODUCTION
I feel greatly honoured to address you at this Joint Provincial Development Committee and Provincial Council Meeting on the rationale, policy thrust and activities of my recently created Ministry. As you may be aware, the Ministry of Rural Housing and Social Amenities was formed in April 2005 by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde R G Mugabe, with the overall objective of uplifting the quality of life of people in communal, Al and A2 resettlement areas.
Rationale for the Formation of the Ministry
The rationale for the formation of my Ministry is to bridge the gap between the underdeveloped rural sector and the more developed urban centres. This must be understood in the context of the fact that housing and social amenities infrastructure in rural areas have not been adequately developed or provided. To this end, the Ministry was formed to improve the standard of life by promoting and coordinating development in rural areas.
Vision
The vision of my Ministry is
Quote " To be the leader in the promotion and facilitation of development in rural Zimbabwe " Unquote
Values
* Responsiveness
* Accountability
* Integrity
* Commitment
Policy Thrust of Ministry
Following on the above, the policy thrust of my Ministry is
Quote " To facilitate and promote rural development through the provision of sound, affordable and sustainable housing and social amenities infrastructure for use by people in the communal and resettlement areas ." Unquote
1. Housing Policy
The Ministry's housing policy is guided by the need to formulate sound and affordable housing development strategies at household , business centre, rural business centre and growth point levels . On the same note, the challenges of providing housing for those displaced by the clean up operation will be addressed through this policy framework.
Pursuant to the foregoing, the identification of sites and actual implementation of the provision of housing in communal and resettlement areas will be done in collaboration with the Department
of Physical Planning, Rural District Councils, traditional leaders and other stakeholders. This will be done by, among other measures, improving already existing structures and building new ones .
The developments will focus on the household level, business centre, rural business centre, growth points, communal areas, Al and A2 resettlement areas .
a. Rural Housing Fund
My Ministry has established a Rural Housing Fund which is awaiting approval by Parliament. It will play a pivotal role in the provision of housing and social amenities infrastructure in the rural areas. Pursuant to this, its main purpose will be
Quote " To meet the cost of developing rural housing and social amenities infrastructure in communal and resettlement areas of Zimbabwe; advance loans to individuals for the purpose of servicing, constructing and renovating housing properties and grants to meet the cost of research into appropriate housing design and delivery" Unq uote
Furthermore, it is hoped that, once the Fund has been approved, it will go a long way in meeting the housing and social amenities requirements of people in rural areas. Some of the beneficiaries will include the aged, the indigent and the incapacitated who will
be offered grants. My Ministry is currently working on the modalities of recovering the money to be administered as loans.
b. Model Homesteads
In line with the quest to provide decent, affordable and sustainable housing, my Ministry will, as an initial step, establish a model homestead with three bedrooms and a sitting room, round thatched kitchen, sitting room, blair toilet and rubbish pit in each province.
In light of this, I am inviting the Provincial Governor and Resident Minister, Provincial Chairman and Provincial Administrator to select a district and site where a model homestead can be erected in this province. I will be grateful if each respective Rural District Council could help the Ministry by establishing a building brigade to assist in the construction exercise.
c. Household level.
The proposed models to be followed at household level in both communal and resettlement areas will, as in the case of the model homestead above, consist of a house with two bedrooms, a lounge, round thatched traditional kitchen and granary or a three bedroomed house with a lounge, round thatched kitchen and granary. In both cases, a properly constructed blair toilet facility will be erected to guarantee public health and safe waste disposal. In addition to the two models, my Ministry has designed other costed typologies people can choose from to erect their homesteads.
Furthermore, in line with Government's Millennium Development Goals, my Ministry is working in tandem with the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Agency Framework (ZUNDAF) 2007-2011 to provide decent housing for female and child headed families and permanent structures for resettled farmers by adapting and adopting environmentally appropriate technology. Affordable and locally available resources will be employed to fulfill this objective .
Pursuant to the above goal, I am inviting the Governor and Resident Minister to assist my Ministry by getting statistics on female and child headed families in communal and resettlement areas from each respective Rural District Council.
d. Housing at Rural Business Centres and Growth Points
The strategies for building and renovating housing at these stages will, among other measures, involve comprehensive planning in collaboration with Rural District Councils, the Department of Physical Planning and other stakeholders. It will incorporate enhanced delivery of stands and durable but affordable structures. The Ministry is already conducting research into appropriate materials and structures that are low cost, durable and readily available in association with SIRDIC and other institutions.
e. Al Farmers Housing
In resettlement areas, it has been realized that Al farmers need a lot of assistance from Government after making immense sacrifices in leaving their traditional communal lands. This means that they cannot be self-reliant in their formative years.
To this end, the building of houses in Al resettlement and communal areas will be given priority on a contributory basis.
f. A2 Farmers Housing
This joint Provincial Development Committee and Provincial Council meeting will appreciate that A2 farmers fall under the commercial category and that their resource base is consequently stronger than that of their Al counterparts. In some cases, they occupy farms already endowed with infrastructure like housing, diptanks, irrigation, ranching and safari operation facilities. Given such a scenario, the Ministry is proposing that strategies for assisting those farmers who did not occupy any houses be done on a cost recovery basis using approved plans. My Ministry has also designed several typologies for adoption by A2 farmers .
g. Housing for Civil Servants
It is an established fact that there is a big problem in the provision of housing for civil servants like teachers, nurses and AREX officers in
communal, Al and A2 resettlement areas. This tends to compromise service delivery and encourage high staff turn over. In light of this, my Ministry will construct and renovate houses for civil servants on a cost recovery basis.
2. Social Amenities Policy
The thrust of my Ministry's Social Amenities policy is to promote and facilitate communal and resettlement infrastructure development through the provision of adequate transport, health, education, sport, recreation, cultural and other amenities like postal, telephone and banking services at business center, rural business center, growth points, Al and A2 resettlement areas.
The social amenities infrastructure includes facilities such as access roads, small bridges, culverts, small dams, clean water, dip tanks, village dispensaries and health centers, schools, sporting facilities, community centers incorporating community halls, postal services, telephone and banking services, creches, day care centers, vendor marts, market stalls and factory shells. It must be emphasized, however, that the above thrust is premised on the fact that improving the housing and social amenities needs of people in rural areas will lead to greater productivity and an improved way of life.
To this end, my Ministry's activities are also guided by the need to enhance accessibility to social amenities by women and other
vulnerable groups. Construction of the social amenities infrastructure will employ environmentally friendly building technologies.
My Ministry acknowledges that the mechanisms for providing rural housing and social amenities infrastructure require active collaboration and partnership between Government, institutional investors, the private sector, the newly established Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe, development partners and other stakeholders .
a. Rural Social Amenities Development Fund
My Ministry has established the Rural Social Amenities Development Fund as a vehicle:
Quote "To meet the capital cost of developing social amenities infrastructure in communal and resettlement areas of Zimbabwe through provision of grants and loans to eligible applicants; advance grants and loans to individuals and companies or associations for the purpose of developing infrastructure such as housing properties, business premises and any other infrastructure of a capital nature which is intended to improve the business and social standing of the rural areas of Zimbabwe. " Unquote .
This facility will be also used to provide funds for the development of rural infrastructure like village dispensaries, clinics, classroom blocks, teachers' houses, electrification, market stalls, vendor marts, community centers and so on.
b. Transport (Communal, Al and A2)
As Government consolidates the implementation of the Al and A2 agricultural reforms, my Ministry will collaborate with the Rural District Councils and relevant line Ministries to ensure that the local transport and accessibility needs of resettled people are met. In the Al resettlement model, for example, the policy interventions will seek to address bottlenecks which hinder access to facilities such as market centers, clinics, water sources, grinding mills and schools. These include service roads, culverts, footbridges and small bridges.
c. Sport and Recreation Facilities (Communal, Al and A2)
My Ministry realizes that Al and A2 resettlement areas present a major challenge as sports and recreation facilities are virtually non existent. It will, therefore, give priority to the resettlement areas in the provision of such services so that the people have good social, mental and physical health.
In the communal areas, it will collaborate with Rural District Councils, line Ministries and other stakeholders to renovate existing sports
facilities, for example, football and netball pitches, volleyball, tennis courts, swimming pools and basket ball courts.
d. Health Care Facilities (Al and A2 Resettlement Areas)
Turning to health care facilities, my Ministry will work closely with Rural District Councils, line Ministries and other stakeholders to ensure that clinics, health centers, referral centers and district hospitals are properly located in communal areas. Delegates to this meeting may have observed that the majority of resettlement areas lack infrastructure for the provision of adequate health care. It is vital that resettled farmers, their families and workers are provided with accessible health facilities in order to improve agricultural productivity as most of their enterprises are highly labour intensive .
Pursuant to this, my Ministry envisages that every village should be provided with a dispensary manned by a nurse aide. Its actual location could be done in liaison with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, RDCs, councillors and traditional leaders. The erection of the above-mentioned facilities is urgent as most communities in resettlement areas are using disused farm buildings as clinics. The Ministry will also place emphasis on the building of protected toilets and water supplies .
e. Provision of Educational Facilities (Communal, Al and A2 Resettlement Areas)
My Ministry will work with Rural District Councils, the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture and other stakeholders to improve the quality of educational infrastructure in communal and resettlement areas. In addition to this, my Ministry will construct new classrooms and resource centres, electrify classrooms and teachers' houses and promote computer literacy and Information Communication Technology (ICT) by pupils, teachers and the community.
Strategies that will be used in the resettlement areas include those cited above as well as constructing and renovating teachers' houses, giving incentives for teachers by providing them with good accommodation and promoting access to education by adults through the use of existing facilities. Furthermore, the Ministry was allocated funds in its 2006 budget for the refurbishment of schools in resettlement areas. I have since invited each Governor and Resident Minister to provide the Ministry with a list of the schools in priority order.
f. Water and Ecological Management (Communal, Al and A21
On Water and Ecological Management, my Ministry will work closely with relevant line Ministries and other stakeholders to ensure that water and ecological resources (flora and fauna) are properly
managed in both communal and resettlement areas to avoid an imbalance in the eco-system. In this regard, woodlots and tree planting programmes will be vigorously pursued. Special focus will be directed at empowering newly resettled farmers to properly manage their environment with regard to forestry conservation, prevention of veld fires, soil erosion and siltation.
g. Tourism and Cultural Facilities (Communal, Al and A2)
With regard to the provision and development of tourism and cultural facilities, the Ministry will liaise with relevant line Ministries, Rural District Councils, local councilors and traditional leaders to, among other things, identify and restore sites of historical and cultural importance to the nation. Emphasis will also be placed on promoting and conserving wild life, promoting tourist visits to such sites, identifying and establishing culture houses and setting up mechanisms to safeguard sites and artifacts from vandalism .
h. Rural Energy Provision (Communal, Al and A2)
My Ministry will collaborate with relevant line Ministries, REA, institutions such as SIRDC and Rural District Councils to enhance the rural electrification programme and other power generation technologies in communal and resettlement areas. These include micro- and mini-hydros and other renewable energy technologies that can easily use the existing grid extensions to complement the ZESA grid. The alternative forms include wind, solar PV and biomass.
i. Community Radio, Telephone and Mobile Networks (Communal, Al and A2)
The Ministry regards effective communication as the cornerstone of meaningful development in communal and resettlement areas. To this end, it will liaise with the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe under the Ministry of Information and Publicity, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, traditional leaders and other stakeholders on how community radio can be incorporated.
In the same vein, the Ministry believes that business centers, rural service centers, district service centers, village dispensaries, clinics, schools, administration centers, polling stations, chiefs' homesteads and other strategic centers critical for rural development should be provided with telephone, mobile networks, the internet and faxes to assist in the conveyance of information from one place to another. In fact, the internet has proved to be a powerful tool that can be used by local farmers and entrepreneurs to market their produce.
3. Outreach and Implementation Programme
Delegates to this meeting will appreciate the fact that efforts to provide rural housing and social amenities infrastructure require collaboration with Rural District Councils since the initiatives my Ministry is bringing will be implemented in areas under your jurisdiction. To this end, the Ministry will ensure that its
activities are in sync with those of the ward, district and provincial development plans.
To implement its programmes, the Ministry has deliberately established the post of District Housing and Social Amenities Officer to collaborate with local councilors, traditional leaders and Rural District Councils to, among other things, set up building brigades, renovate and erect homesteads and social amenities infrastructure at village and ward level.
4. Housing for People Displaced by the Clean Up Exercise
My Ministry is working closely with local councilors, Rural District Councils, traditional leaders and other stakeholders in identifying those who went back to the rural areas as a result of the reconstruction exercise. It will be noted that those affected fall into two broad categories, that is, those who were displaced from the urban areas but had homes in the rural areas and those who did not have any. Traditional leaders and local councilors will help identify the latter so that they can be registered for resettlement. My Ministry will assist them to erect basic housing infrastructure.
Conclusion
Allow me, Cde Governor and Resident Minister, to conclude by stating that the mandate of my Ministry is to change the outlook of our rural areas through the provision of decent affordable accommodation and social amenities infrastructure. It must be recognized that over 75% of our population lives in the rural areas and that if the country is to meet the Millennium Development Goals, there is an urgent need to work in collaboration.
I thank you.