10/10/2026
๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ
Zimbabwe has been challenged to embrace technology, innovation and new financing models in housing delivery, with the Government saying success must no longer be measured simply by the number of houses constructed, but by the quality of communities created.
Speaking at a Presidential Programme4Professionals (PP4P)-organised public lecture at Lupane State University on Friday, Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Prof Paul Mavima, said Zimbabwe needed to fundamentally rethink the way it approaches housing development.
He said the focus should shift โfrom the number of houses built to the quality of human settlements created.โ
The public lecture, held under the theme โSmart Human Settlements for a Sustainable Future: Integrating Agriculture, Housing and Community Development,โ brought together government officials, academics, traditional leaders, industry representatives and professionals.
Prof Mavima, who is the PP4P Patron, said smart human settlements must go beyond providing shelter to creating environments where people can live productive and dignified lives.
Such settlements, he said, should have reliable roads and transport systems, water and sanitation, energy, schools, health facilities, digital connectivity and markets, while creating opportunities for residents to earn sustainable livelihoods.
โTechnology is not the destination. People are the destination,โ he said, stressing that a settlement can only be considered smart if its infrastructure ultimately improves people's lives.
The Minister also placed affordability at the centre of the housing debate.
โA smart settlement that ordinary Zimbabweans cannot afford is not truly smart,โ he said.
He called for innovative financing mechanisms, increased use of locally produced construction materials and partnerships capable of reducing the cost of housing.
Prof Mavima said the country's response to informal settlements should also move beyond the provision of physical structures to addressing the broader challenges of infrastructure, livelihoods, access to finance and security of tenure.
Under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2, Prof Mavima said he had been entrusted with contributing to the delivery of at least one million housing units between 2026 and 2030.
However, he said the target should not result in the creation of isolated housing units, but productive communities capable of contributing to food security and household incomes.
He called for community gardens, horticulture, poultry, aquaculture, greenhouse farming and hydroponics to be incorporated into settlement planning.
The approach, he said, would enable housing developments to become economic ecosystems rather than merely clusters of houses.
Speaking during his welcome remarks, LSU Vice Chancellor Prof Pardon Kuipa said the university was open to partnerships that could translate knowledge and research into practical solutions.
He said LSU was leveraging its infrastructure and human capital to โproduce solutionsโ by turning research into innovation, enterprise and development.
The university is currently constructing a Technovation Centre that will house innovation hubs designed to provide a platform where ideas can be developed into tangible goods and services.
As part of his visit to LSU, Prof Mavima toured the universityโs facilities and expressed admiration for the infrastructure.
He, however, challenged students not to be content with the accommodation and facilities available to them, urging them to embrace innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship as part of their contribution to national development.
The Minister's message dovetailed with LSU's Education 5.0 philosophy, which places emphasis on teaching, research, community engagement, innovation and industrialisation.
The public lecture provided a platform for dialogue on how technology, agriculture, housing and community development can be integrated to create sustainable settlements capable of responding to Zimbabwe's changing socio-economic needs.
Among those who attended the lecture were Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland North Hon Richard Moyo and PP4P National Chairman Mr Kudzai Ngirazi.
