Residents dumped by ZIMASCO after completing 200k project

Kelvin kasiwulaya
After completing a US $200 000 house electrification project which ZIMASCO had failed to embark on for over 30 years, residents of J Section compound in Shurugwi now face eviction from the houses which they electrified using their own labour and financial resources.

J Section residents have come out guns blazing at ZIMASCO who have since dumped them after they completed the electrification of 40 housing units forking money from their pockets and providing labour in the installation of poles and cables.
“The community found it necessary to carry out the project since they had been promised by the ZIMASCO management that all houses would be sold to the tenants but after all the sacrifices the company has now issued the residents with eviction orders with the intention to sell the now electrified houses to other prominent buyers,” bemoaned Alderman Mashaya, the Chairman of the electrification project committee.

Ward 7 councillor Mr Phanuel Machiya who also happens to be a J section resident, has vehemently castigated the rogue behaviour exuded by the ZIMASCO management and demanded the company to pay the US $200 000 that was used by residents in the electrification project if they can no longer honour their promise of offering the electrified houses to the residents.
“It is our plight that, if ZIMASCO doesn’t want us in those houses they should just pay residents the 2 000 they would have used to complete the project.
“We once requested ZIMASCO to channel the money that we were paying as rentals toward the electrification project but the company however refused ,we have now completed the project and ZIMASCO shows no sign of appreciation
“The community made a great development to ZIMASCO’s property at their own expense, which is beneficial to the company not the community, hence there is need for them to recognise the community,” fumed Machiya

When reached for comment by the press, ZIMASCO Judicial Manager Mr Saruchera requested for more time to respond since he wanted to confirm with ZIMASCO Shurugwi Division general manager Mr Mapfumo on what was is going on.

This development comes at a time when, ZIMASCO failed to embark on a $200 000 house electrification project, which saw residents from the J section compound of Shurugwi, forking out funds from their pockets and provided labour for the completion of the project with the hope Zimasco would offer them the houses.

The electrification project which took less than a month to complete, was supposed to be carried out by ZIMASCO which is the sole owner of the 40 housing units but however the company could not raise funds for the project