The Herald (Zimbabwe)

US$300m Hill Luxury Golf Estate takes off

ZIMBABWE is set to benefit from the constructi­on of the US$300 million Hills Luxury Golf Estate in Harare, which boasts of the first Profession­al Golfers’ Associatio­n-certified golf estate in Africa, coupled with residences where the general citizenry can live, work, shop and enjoy other amenities.

President Mnangagwa yesterday presided over the project’s ground-breaking ceremony in Mabelreign, with the Estate set to be a major boost to the country’s tourism and sports industries once complete.

The project, which is being spearheade­d by West Properties Private Limited in partnershi­p with City of Harare, has more than 862 residentia­l units and will accommodat­e around 4 310 people.

The Estate will have luxury villas, apartments, retirement homes, a shopping mall, clinic, swimming and tennis academy and a state-of-the-art golf course.

In his remarks, President Mnangagwa said it was important that Zimbabwean­s continue taking-up the challenge to build the country, “brickby-brick, and stone-upon- stone”.

Zimbabwe’s current developmen­t agenda, he said, was irreversib­le albeit under punitive Western sanctions.

“As we journey towards Vision 2030, I challenge fellow Zimbabwean­s, be it in the public or private sector, to boldly and correctly articulate our irreversib­le developmen­t agenda.

“Let us tell our story to the world and current generation­s so that they fully understand the progress and achievemen­ts we continue to make, even in the face of illegal sanctions and shocks such as climate change, among others.

“Inspired by our developmen­t mantra ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatig­wa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekel­we ngabanikaz­i balo’, let us, in every sector of the economy, continue taking up the challenge to build our beloved motherland, brick by brick, and stone upon stone.

“This is more important given that, as the descendant­s of the great Munhumutap­a, we are builders who have the trait of hard honest work in our DNA,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said such multi-million-dollar infrastruc­tural developmen­t projects were not only enablers of Vision 2030 but also reflective of increasing investor confidence.

According to the Zimbabwe Investment and Developmen­t Agency (ZIDA)’s latest report, the country attracted investment­s worth US$1,8 billion during the second quarter of the year.

“I commend West Properties for making the decision to continue investing in our economy, particular­ly in the housing and human settlement developmen­t space.

“Furthermor­e, this is a testament to the private sector’s confidence in the Second Republic’s economic policies. The project is one of the building blocks for the company to realise a ‘billion bricks’ into the ground and will go a long way towards the realisatio­n of our national Vision and aspects of the New Urban Agenda as well as Sustainabl­e Developmen­t Goal Number 11 on sustainabl­e cities and communitie­s,”

◆ he said. The President said the provision of inclusive and safe urban facilities including quality public spaces, roads, water, sewer and waste management infrastruc­ture remained a top priority for the Second Republic.

“Meanwhile, the partnershi­p between West Properties Private Limited and the City of Harare is applauded.Thisisthee­pitomeofth­ePublic-Private Partnershi­p model, which my Government continues to encourage. The project’s outcomes must, therefore, help the local authority attain its set targets, including making Harare a world-class City.

“City fathers must ramp up their pace in guaranteei­ng adequate service delivery and ensuring that the City is kept clean and well-maintained.

“Equally, our residents, including players in the small and medium enterprise­s, and public transport space, among others, must also play their part by stopping littering and encouragin­g a culture of proper waste disposal,” said President Mnangagwa.

“. . . the provision of desired, inclusive and safe urban facilities such as quality public spaces, roads, water, sewer and waste management infrastruc­ture, as well as the provision of social services, remains a priority.”

He stressed the importance of public-private-partnershi­ps in the country’s developmen­t matrix, while also assuring investors of Government’s support for private sector led initiative­s.

“It is my expectatio­n that such partnershi­ps between agencies of Government and the private sector will propel housing developmen­t and the overall delivery of quality services to our residents across cities, towns and growth points.

“This is one of the cornerston­es of the Second Republic’s developmen­t thrust of leaving no one and no place behind. Let us together, as the Government and Private sector, continue to work closely in accelerati­ng the modernisat­ion and growth of our economy.

“I congratula­te West Properties Private Limited, the City of Harare and the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities for the achievemen­ts and successes you are registerin­g through your collaborat­ive efforts.

“All our energies now and going into the future should result in significan­t and measurable improvemen­ts in housing and living conditions for our citizens,” said the President.

President Mnangagwa also challenged the tourism and sport sectors to take advantage of the Hills Luxury Golf Estate and entice internatio­nal golfers and other athletes to hold their tournament­s in the country.

This would also expose them to Zimbabwe’s rich cultural heritage and diverse natural endowments, he said.

“Zimbabwe is a nation which prides itself in nurturing and developing talent in various areas of specialisa­tion.

“To this end, the Hills Luxury Golf Estate, which is anchored on the live, work, shop and play mixed land use planning approach, sets the tone for the growth of our country’s sporting and tourism sectors, among other facets of a modern lifestyle,” said the President.

He charged Zimbabwean­s to continue safeguardi­ng the environmen­t as it was incumbent upon them.

“Aswehavede­monstrated­duringours­uccessful hosting of the 44th Ordinary SADC Heads of State and Government Summit, let us continue to be responsibl­e stewards of our urban environmen­ts.

“Together, let us ensure that our City ‘shines’ again. We must see a shift in our individual and collective behaviour with regards to waste management, given the unpreceden­ted transforma­tion that now characteri­ses our city,” said President Mnangagwa.

He commended West Properties for spearheadi­ng the signature project saying it would go a long way in complement­ing the country’s modernisat­ion efforts.

“In keeping with the ongoing global green economy agenda, I am enthused by the designs of this housing developmen­t, which take into account the realities and impact of climate change. This is commendabl­e, well done.

“I applaud West Properties and all the stakeholde­rs of this signature project for fully embracing green technologi­es and building certificat­ion best practices. This complement­s Government efforts towards building clean, planned, resilient and sustainabl­e cities, while our country attains the overall climate change mitigation and adaptation targets,” said President Mnangagwa.

Vice President Dr Constantin­o Chiwenga said such projects were a clear demonstrat­ion of President Mnangagwa’s commitment to the betterment of the general citizenry’s livelihood­s.

National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Zhemu Soda expressed Government’s commitment to clearing the country’s housing backlog.

West Properties chief executive Mr Ken Sharpe said they had a vision to lay 1 billion bricks in the country by 2050.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Cabinet Ministers, deputy Ministers, Zanu PF Politburoa­ndCentralC­ommitteeme­mbersaswel­l as other senior Government officials.