DRAFT POLICY
Foreword
The existence of a dual economy, characterized by inequalities in the distribution of income, wealth, assets and access to social amenities and decent accommodation between the urban and rural sectors, has prompted Government to adopt a holistic approach in uplifting the lives of people in communal, Al and A2 resettlement areas.
This Rural Housing and Social Amenities Policy integrates a new development vision and planning framework for rural development in Zimbabwe. To this end, its objectives are consistent with the realization of Zimbabwe's Millennium Development Goals and Vision 2020 which are geared, among other issues, towards ensuring environmental stability.
As stated in His Excellency, President R G Mugabe's Millennium Development Goals Launch Report of 8 September 2005, 75% of our population had access to safe water by 1999 while 58% had safe sanitation. However, the target is to achieve 100% accessibility of the above provisions by 2015.
The relocation of our people under the historic land reform programme, means that we must accelerate the provision of social amenities and decent affordable housing to people in communal, Al and A2 resettlement areas. More specifically, Government will endeavour to ensure that every household has access to a toilet within the homestead and to clean potable water by 2015.
The rural housing component of this policy draws on lessons learnt from the implementation of the National Housing Policy and the National Housing Delivery Programme (2004-2008) which Government approved in February 2000. The shortcomings of the two operational frameworks are noted in their bias towards reducing the urban housing backlog. This component endeavours to provide adequate, affordable and sustainable housing that guarantees a healthy environment with good sanitation for people in communal, Al and A2 resettlement areas. It also caters for those who relocated to the rural areas as a result of Operation Murambatsvina.
This policy is premised on the fact that housing and other infrastructure I developments provide an impetus for economic development as it stimulates employment creation through the construction industry and the manufacture of building materials.
The Social Amenities component of this policy blends the new approach to rural development with past strategies as contained in the ZIMCORD DOCUMENT of 1981 to ensure that :
. The rural sector becomes more productive in order to reduce the huge differences in the productivity of labour between the two sectors.
. The rural labour force stabilizes in order to curb rural - urban migration which had created marginal populations on the outskirts of towns as the sluggish modern sector failed to absorb them.
!. A dynamic rural economy with the capacity to generate employment for the majority of the people is created.
It is in this context that the policy seeks to vigorously mobilize resources and the rural communities to ensure that set targets under the MDG's are surpassed andthat Zimbabwe is counted among the most successful nations in this regard.
The policy arises from a careful consideration of policies and programmes pursued by both the colonial and post colonial governments, experience from other developing countries and consultation with relevant stakeholders who have an interest in developing the rural areas.