Our forum has toured Melfort several times and also made a lot of noise about developing the area into a major city. We have also submitted our proposals to relevant policy makers.
Located 41 kilometres on a dual carriageway from the capital, this is a key strategic area for the country as it is the last gateway to the East.
The area is also blessed with a railway line and thousands of hectares of land which can all be turned into a beautiful modern city that can accommodate more than 100,000 residents and thereby reducing the housing backlog and creating numerous opportunities for various sectors.
Residential stands of up to 50,000,
Commercial stands, shopping malls, universities, tech hubs and more,
Agri plots for those interested in farming,
Great opportunity for the new administration to create a legacy!
Modalities
- Proper survey of the area and developing an innovative plan. Engage foreign town planners especially from China where more than 300 new cities are cropping up every year,
- Chinese planners to work alongside local experts,
- Invite real estate developers, financial institutions and other investors to invest in the project by developing the area in terms of infrastructure in return for stands for sale,
- Once infrastructure is in place—invite members of the public to participate in purchasing residential and commercial stands,
- Minimise corruption! Only those with no other homes should have access to reasonably priced residential stands. Speculators should only be allowed access to pricey residential or commercial stands.
Current developments
Unscrupulous land barons already on the ground parcelling out land to unsuspecting members of the public,
If land barons allowed free play then a HUGE OPPORTUNITY LOST FOR HARARE as the place risks going the unplanned settlement way of slums! We may end up with a Kibera Slum situation which only benefits a few at the expense of the whole nation.
Melfort Opportunities
- Unlocking construction industry value chain opportunities,
- Harnessing diaspora investment,
- Area can be converted into an Export Processing Zone attracting foreign and diaspora investors,
- Beira Imports Warehouse Facilities: With a significant amount of our imports being imported from Beira, the area can be used by importers for processing, packaging and shipment
The list of opportunities is long but for opportunities to be unlocked, engage leading experts and above all—remove corruption!
China is developing futuristic cities every year –we can learn from them.
Resources Required
Most of the land in the area is lying idle and the government can acquire it for town development purposes,
The role of the government should be provision of an enabling environment and coordinating development,
This is a self financing business model and therefore not much budgetary support required—harness resources from financial institutions, diasporans, locals and others.
So no excuse to say financial resources limitation—ma investors anoda nzvimbo iyi akawandisa, the housing backlog keeps expanding. The wetlands fiasco should be a wakeup call—Harare has run out of land.
It’s our hope that we won’t witness housing cooperatives setting up and dishing out residential stands in a haphazard way. Develop a futuristic city using private sector funds with the government taking the credit for the development.
