GWERU-based cement maker, Sino Zimbabwe Cement Company (SZCC), plans to construct about 300 housing units at its Indiva Farm site on the outskirts of Gweru.
The company, a joint venture between the Zimbabwe and Chinese governments, said construction of the housing project will depend on the completion of the brick and tile plant the company is constructing near its cement plant.
Mr Yong Wang, the SZCC managing director, said the availability of more land by the Government at Indiva Farm will also ensure that the project takes off quickly.
“We want to construct staff houses for our employees but our focus is to ensure that we cut costs by taking advantage of the products we produce at the company. For instance, we want to ensure that we complete the brick and tile project and once we do that we use the bricks, tiles and cement we manufacture and channel it towards the housing projects,” he said.
“We are also in discussion with the Government to avail us more land for the housing project and in the future we also envisage a construction industrial park that can be set on this site and this will depend on the availability of land.”
Mr Wang said for such investments to come to fruition, Government needs to have title deeds for Indiva Farm where SZCC is located to be transferred to the company. Indiva Farm, located 33 kilometres east of Gweru, is still regarded as State land. The absence of title deeds in SZCC has resulted in the company failing to access lines of credit due to the absence of collateral demanded by lending institutions.
- Chronicle
