Dozens of frustrated Magwegwe West home seekers have begun erecting makeshift structures on unserviced residential stands after nearly 10 years of waiting for Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to complete basic infrastructure. The residents, who bought the stands in January 2016, accuse the local authority of dishonesty and neglect, saying repeated assurances about progress and arbitration processes have yielded nothing while their lives “fall apart”. WhenCITEvisited the site on Sunday, beneficiaries were braving heavy rains under temporary plastic shelters, vowing to occupy the land until BCC fulfils its commitments.
Many say the prolonged delays have cost them jobs, worsened chronic illnesses, and left some widowed or elderly with little hope of ever building the homes they were promised. Mr Sibanda, one of the beneficiaries, said the group paid US$3,000 upfront and cleared outstanding balances within the required 18 months, with council promising that the area would be fully serviced by December 2016. “They told us by December 2016 we would be flushing our toilets, but today it’s 2025 and nothing has been done,” he said.
“In 2023 they asked us for top-ups to finish servicing the stands. We paid, but they only came briefly and disappeared. We have met everyone — the housing director, the mayor, the engineers — but nothing moves.
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They keep talking about arbitration.” He said many have now reached breaking point.“Years are moving. We now have orphans, widows, we have lost jobs. When I bought this stand, I was 10 years younger.
We told them we are going to build, but they didn’t take us seriously. So we are here now. The rains found us here.” With no water or sanitation, Sibanda said residents plan to use abandoned trenches as toilets and rely on makeshift sources of water.“We are going to stay here until they take action,” he said.
Another beneficiary, Pretty Nkomo, said residents feel ignored after spending nearly a decade seeking answers. “We had hope. We trusted City Council.
We paid everything they asked for, including top-ups, but this is now the 10th year,” she said. “When we go to their offices, they don’t want to see us anymore. They ate our money, what should we do?”
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