The Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities recently convened its Pre-Strategic Planning Stakeholder Workshop in Harare, marking the first step towards crafting its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan. The workshop brought together key players from across the housing delivery sector to share insights, expectations and recommendations to guide the Ministry’s planning process for the forthcoming National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) implementation period.
In his address, the Permanent Secretary for National Housing and Social Amenities, Engineer Kudzanayi Chinyanga, underscored the importance of the workshop in shaping the Ministry’s goals and programmes for the next strategic period.
“This workshop will determine our objectives, goals and activities for yet another milestone year, 2026, as we deliver the mandate given to us by His Excellency the President, Dr E.D. Mnangagwa, upon the inception of this Ministry,” said Eng. Chinyanga.
He highlighted that the Ministry’s planning process was grounded in extensive stakeholder consultation to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness in addressing the national housing deficit.
“All Zimbabweans are looking up to us to create an enabling environment for the provision of safe, modern, affordable and sustainable human settlements, against the backdrop of a daunting national backlog of two million housing units,” he said. “Narrowing that gap is a mammoth task, but I am delighted that it is not Government’s singular undertaking.”
He further reminded participants to draw lessons from past experiences and ensure that the Strategic Plan continues to articulate how the Ministry’s mandate to provide safe, modern, affordable and sustainable human settlements can be effectively implemented.
In setting the tone for the deliberations, Mrs Marian Mutenga, the Director of Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, unpacked the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) Framework, noting that the national priority area on Infrastructure and Housing is underpinned by outcomes focused on improved access to affordable and quality housing, as well as increased availability of modern housing and social amenities.
The facilitator from the Public Service Commission guided participants on how to distinguish between clients and stakeholders in their deliberations, to ensure the Ministry’s strategic plan reflects the needs of both groups effectively.
Stakeholders drawn from the built environment, line ministries, and the financial services sector shared their expectations of the Ministry.
A representative from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) urged the Ministry to adopt the Chiringa Dashboard to strengthen monitoring of activities and to provide regular feedback on programme and project implementation. They further emphasised the importance of the Whole-of-Government Approach, research-driven decision-making, and the development of innovative models which provide practical solutions.
Contractors called for greater access to construction opportunities and called for support in the development of a Contractors’ Bill. Participants from the built environment sector stressed the need for investment in offsite infrastructure and regularisation of informal settlements. The built Environment fraternity was represented by the Construction Industry Federation of Zimbabwe (CIFOZ), Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) and Shelter Zimbabwe.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) raised concerns over wetland encroachment and called for environmental considerations to be integrated into all stages of project planning, design, implementation and decommissioning. EMA also urged the Ministry to play an active role in the assessment of the capacity of existing sewer and solid waste facilities when planning new developments.
A representative from the WASH sector presented progress under the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) highlighting that access to clean water is provided as a constitutional right under Section 77(a). He shared milestones achieved under the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZIMLAC) 2025 initiative, which includes a target to drill 33,000 boreholes across the country. He also outlined the Presidential WASH Compact, which elevates WASH as a Presidential priority for accelerated sector development. He called upon concerted efforts to fight open defecation.
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development expressed the need for expanded housing programmes for its employees and marginalised mining communities.
In addition, the Ministry took the opportunity to review its Client Service Charter, reaffirming its commitment to service excellence, transparency and accountability in the delivery of housing and social amenities. The review process aimed to align service standards with evolving stakeholder expectations in alignment with service provisions for each department.
In closing, Chief Director of Estates Development and Maintenance, Ms Kudzai Rimai, thanked all stakeholders for their active participation and valuable input, assuring them that their contributions would inform the Ministry’s upcoming strategic planning exercise.
The one-day workshop concluded with a renewed commitment by all participants to strengthen partnerships and promote collaborative approaches in housing delivery. The outcomes will feed into the Ministry’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, which supports Zimbabwe’s drive towards achieving Vision 2030—to become an upper middle-income society.
