BENEFICIARIES of the Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle Housing scheme in Kariba are facing eviction as they owe thousands of dollars to the Ministry of Local Government in rentals, it has been established.
NUNURAI JENA
The Garikai scheme was introduced by the government in 2005 after the infamous Operation Murambatsvina/Clean-Up Operation which left over 500 000 families’ countrywide homeless.
But the Ministry of local government is now pushing to evict about 50 families that benefitted from the operation.
The families have failed to pay US$10 rentals per month backdated to nearly 10 years ago when they were allocated the housing units. One of the beneficiaries, Nyasha Pondiwa said he was elated when he became a beneficiary of the scheme in 2006 after failing for years to save for a stand or a house.
But now he’s a bitter man and on the verge of losing his house because the government wants him to pay US$785 in rental arrears.
Pondiwa accused the government of double standards. “They never told us when we moved in that we were going to pay rentals and eventually pay for the housing units. It is a surprise to all of us. Where on earth do they think I will get the US$785 they are talking about,” he said.
Another Kariba Garikai tenant, Abgail Moda, vowed to stay put claiming she bought the land from the local authority while the government provided the structure.
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“The situation is complicated. We paid for the stands to the municipality. What the government is saying about the arrears is day- dreaming. After all, construction was done through donations from well-wishers, so why shift the goal posts now?” queried Moda.
But a Chinhoyi-based Local Government ministry official who only identified himself as Nyanhemwa said the Kariba tenants were not telling the truth as they were given enough time to pay for the houses.
Nyanhemwa said the houses were evaluated and pegged at different prices ranging from US$1 800 to US$2 500 depending on the level of completion when they were allocated.
“The tenants are not telling you the truth. They were told at some stage that they should pay up rentals and start purchasing the stands for ownership but they seem not to like the idea for some reasons best known to themselves,” he said.
Nyanhemwa said government would give the tenants enough time to pay before evicting them.
He said another option was for the Garikai housing scheme house owners to make payment plans with the government if they wanted to continue occupying their homes.
