Staff Reporter

BULAWAYO – Residents of Cowdray Park have voted to proceed with the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deed Programme, despite concerns over historical infrastructure payments made to the Bulawayo City Council.

The vote follows a City of Bulawayo resolution adopted in April 2025 accepting the programme, which was officially launched in the suburb by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube at Cowdray Park Primary School in October 2025.

The programme, which seeks to issue title deeds to qualifying households on State land, concluded its final round of community engagement meetings in Cowdray Park this week.

Although the meetings were largely peaceful, residents initially expressed reservations, citing unresolved questions over development fees previously paid to the Bulawayo City Council. Some said they wanted greater transparency on how those funds had been utilised before committing to the programme.

Responding to the concerns, Bulawayo City Council Director of Works, Engineer Dibidi, said the money had been invested in infrastructure development across the suburb.

He said water reticulation in Cowdray Park is now 97% complete, while sewer reticulation has also recorded significant progress. He added that the council is reconciling historical payment records to provide residents with a comprehensive account of the funds received.

Cowdray Park legislator Hon. Arthur Mujeyi said implementation would begin in areas that had endorsed the programme while engagement would continue with communities that remained opposed.

“Development will begin in the segments that have accepted the programme. Continuous engagement will be maintained with those not yet fully aligned to the programme,” he said.

Senator Collette Ndlovu also addressed the meeting, saying segments that voted against the programme should not prevent implementation in areas that supported it. She urged the Bulawayo City Council to compile a comprehensive database of residents who previously paid development fees and ensure those payments are fairly recognised under the Kwangu/Ngakwami programme.

Following the discussions, residents voted across the suburb’s 31 segments. Twenty-one segments voted in favour of the programme, while ten voted against it.

Programme officials said the outcome represented majority support and confirmed that the rollout of the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deed Programme would proceed in Cowdray Park.

According to programme figures presented at the meeting, Cowdray Park has an estimated population of 15,500 people, with about 11,000 verified beneficiaries expected to benefit from the initiative. The total bill of quantities for infrastructure development is estimated at US$38 million, while each household is expected to contribute US$3,500. Water reticulation is 97% complete, sewer reticulation stands at 30%, and road construction has reached 5%.

The Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deed Programme forms part of a national initiative announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in December 2022 to regularise informal settlements and facilitate the issuance of title deeds to qualifying households.