Speaking in the city yesterday, an
official from the ministry, Ms Betha Mlonda, said that it is estimated
that 430,000 housing units, which is more than 75 percent of the 55,000
houses in the city have been built randomly in squatter areas - a
situation that shows that 70 per cent of residents in the city are
living in such areas.
“The programme will be implemented in those areas where homes have been built randomly outside the city.
The first steps involve formalisation
which essentially involves encouraging the owner of land to cede part of
their land for infrastructure and other social services for economic
development,” she said.
She added that various efforts have been
made by the government in improving towns and avoiding unplanned
settlements where houses have been built against the rules and
regulations of urban planning.
She said that the program is
collaborative where the public are supposed to corporate with land
specialists in identifying the requirement of social services and
infrastructure needed within their areas. “Is not all settlements in the
city which fall under this initiative.
There are criteria that make some areas suitable for formalization.
The formalization is based on city road
networks which are pointed out by Tanrads and municipal councils,” she
said. She said that the participation of members of the public in
solving conflicts over land is very important.
“We called upon residents in the city to
collaborate with city planning officers in order to avoid conflict and
to demarcate land boundaries for the benefit of all,” she said.
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