Sakubva Local Development Plan ushers in sanity

Ray Bande

Senior Reporter

IRREGULAR settlements and haphazard construction of workshops or service centres is set to be a thing of the past in the sprawling suburb of Sakubva following last Friday’s inception of a Local Development Plan for the area.

Mutare City Council set the ball rolling in localising its approved master plan after holding an inception meeting for the Sakubva Local Development Plan at Sakubva Beit Hall last Friday.

The Local Development Plan for Sakubva, which comes hard on the heels of a similar initiative for the Central Business District, is a 10 to 15 years roadmap of the development path that the local authority will take in the city’s oldest high-density suburb.

Ministry of Local Government and Public Works spokesperson, Mr Gabriel Masvora, underscored the importance of Local Development Plans for local authorities.

“It is vital that local authorities develop Local Development Plans and Layout Development Plans to guide orderly and sustainable growth, while also addressing the challenges posed by irregular settlements that have emerged in some of our cities and towns,” he said.

In his presentation during the inception meeting, Development Governance Institute’s (DGI) consultant, Dr Kudzai Chatiza, said apart from it being a regulatory requirement, participation of locals – residents as well as those who work in Sakubva – is of paramount importance in producing a people oriented and inclusive development plan for the area.

“We are mandated at law to ensure that we get the views of all who have an interest in the wellbeing of Sakubva area. This refers to people who live in the area or those who work in the area.

“These are important stakeholders whom we expect to contribute on what they want Sakubva to become. For example, if a given space within Sakubva is not meant for setting up a grinding mill business under the Local Development Plan, then that becomes legally binding and cannot be altered.

“If one decides to set up a grinding mill business in that area, they can be taken to court because it will be illegal to do so if the Local Development Plan does not permit that.

“Therefore, this shows the importance of the Local Development Plan in the development process of the area in question. It also shows the importance of input of residents and all stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Chatiza added that development of local development plans is an ongoing process in most local authorities around the country.

“Essentially, all 92 local authorities have master plans and those whose plans were approved (at least 70) are now developing local plans.

‘‘Even rural local authorities now have planning departments that now drive planned development. While it will take time, the basis for planned development has been set,” he said.

Mutare City Council’s Director of Spatial Planning, Mr Tonderai Brian Sango, said an all-inclusive data collection process that includes door-to-door consultations will now be put into motion.

“After this inception meeting, we are moving ahead in collecting data from the stakeholders, all those with an interest in what Sakubva should look like.

“Different methods of data collection will be employed including door-to-door consultations.

‘‘We will also be receiving submissions in writing and all these will be factored in the final document that we will produce as the Local Development Plan for Sakubva,” he said.

Mr Sango said the Sakubva Local Development Plan, which is part of Town Clerk, Mr Blessing Chafesuka’s key results area, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“We are expecting to complete the process by the end of this year as this is an important initiative that is actually part of the Town Clerk’s key result area,” said Mr Sango.

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