IN a significant shift from its troubled past, the Urban Development Corporation (UDCORP) is spearheading a transformative approach to rural development, positioning itself as a key driver of sustainable urbanisation beyond Zimbabwe’s major cities.
This new direction was highlighted during a recent media tour of the flagship Knockmalloch Housing Density Project under Chegutu Rural District Council (RDC) area. Government and UDCORP officials outlined a strategic vision aligned with national development goals, including Vision 2030.
Blueprint for Rural Modernisation in Chief Chivero’s Area
The Knockmalloch project, located in the Chief Chivero area of Chegutu RDC, is designed as a self-contained settlement that integrates residential, commercial, light industrial, and institutional stands. It is being hailed as a blueprint for “rapid modernisation” in rural districts.
Chegutu RDC’s Admire Machingura, confirmed the project’s turnaround, stating that progress has significantly improved, saying, “Things are now moving far, far much better than they were some years back.” He emphasised that UDCORP is set to become a “true testament that public entities can perform even better than the private sector.”
UDCORP’s CEO, Joey Shumbamhini, detailed the project’s scale, following its successful resuscitation after a prolonged stall:
– Phase One (High Density): 680 residential stands (90% complete)
– Phase One Extension (High Density): 1,263 residential stands
– Phase Two (Medium Density): 881 residential stands
– Phase Three (Low Density): 398 residential stands
This integrated project includes land for essential services such as creches, schools, churches, a police station, and a hospital, alongside recreational areas and a cemetery. This model supports the national goal of creating an “upper middle-income society,” allowing residents to “live, work, play, and even be buried” within their community.
Resolving Legacy Issues and Strengthening Partnerships
The Knockmalloch project represents a departure from ad-hoc development, championed by UDCORP’s ambitious “Transformation Restore UDCORP ‘s Prosperity” strategy. This strategy successfully addressed the “legacy issues” that previously hindered compliance with national laws.
Machingura confirmed that all outstanding compliance issues have been resolved amicably, paving the way for compliant development. He stated, “We had a number of legacy issues that were outstanding prior to the new board and management… Those issues have been dealt with amicably between Chegutu RDC and UDCORP.”
The project is self-funding, with resources generated from individuals, corporates
and institutional investors, aligning with the
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 on partnerships.
The UDCORP CEO called on other rural district councils to engage in land development partnerships, highlighting Chegutu RDC as a model for others to follow.
Sustainability, Cost Containment and Quality Control
UDCORP’s commitment to sustainability is underscored by several initiatives:
– Environmental Stewardship: The corporation is implementing an environmentally friendly biodigester system for sewer treatment at Knockmalloch. The Chegutu RDC is pioneering this technology, with initial trials showing positive results. Compliance with Environmental Management Agency (EMA) regulations has been secured, including a new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate.
– Cost Efficiency: Through value-for-money audits, UDCORP has reduced the project’s estimated cost from $40 million to $22 million, achieving significant savings.
– Accelerated Title Deeds: The project is included in a special early title deeds program, allowing fully paid-up members to register for title deeds, providing security of tenure.
– Quality Control: The RDC emphasizes the need for beneficiaries to construct modern, compliant homes to avoid demolition orders.
“We are partners in this. Let’s work together to bring a modern housing scheme,” said Machingura.
Enhanced Governance and National Framework Support
Internally, UDCORP has transformed from a loss-making entity plagued by governance issues to a consistent profit-making organisation, with corporate governance compliance rising to 96%. The corporation is now up to date on its financial statements.
The project is supported by a strengthened national framework, including the upcoming Urban State Land Management Act and mandatory minimum service delivery standards. Officials have urged a shift from traditional work hours to a more intensive 24/7 construction pace to meet the December 31, 2025, deadline for Phase One and accelerate progress towards Vision 2030.
UDCORP is superintended by two government ministries; the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
In a speech read on his behalf, Local Government and Public Works Minister, Daniel Garwe, said the project is about urban development, about housing delivery, about infrastructure provision but more so it also speaks to the opportunity for partnerships among government departments, among government ministries and the partnerships with the private sector.
“This is unique and we hope such will be sustained into the future
so that we continue to leverage on the resources
that are abundant and available within government
but also collaborating with our private sector.
“This project is a testament to our collaborative efforts which have worked closely with local authorities in particular Chegutu Rural District Council, community leaders, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to ensure that the needs and,” said Minister Garwe.
National Housing and Social Amenities Minister, Zhemu Soda, said in a speech read on his behalf that his ministry desires to recapitalise “UDCORP to play a pivotal role in the infrastructure development and housing thematic working group during the implementation of NDS 2, where we are supposed to again achieve another 1 million housing units like we did under NDS 1, thereby strengthening its contribution to our national development objectives”.