By Nobleman Runyanga

Chitungwiza Municipality is offering tenants who have been living in its rented houses for decades.

Announcing the development in a statement yesterday, Chitungwiza Town Clerk, Dr George Makunde said, “Chitungwiza Municipality is informing all tenants who have been staying in council-rented residential properties since 1970 to date that they now qualified for home ownership.”

“They (qualifying residents) are encouraged to approach their respective (municipal) District Offices for clearance and are encouraged to bring their national identification as proof. Beneficiaries should visit our offices individually for assistance during this exercise,” said Dr Makunde in the statement.

According to Wikipedia.org, home-ownership or owner-occupancy is a form of housing tenure where a person, called the owner-occupier, owner-occupant, or home owner, owns the home in which they live.

This means that all occupants of municipal houses who were under a rent to buy arrangement with the local authority for the past 49 years can now approach Chitungwiza Municipality to have their status changed from tenants to owners and the relevant records amended accordingly.

Given the hyperinflation era of 2008 when most debts were paid up owing to the resultant loss of value of the local currency at the time, hundreds of the municipality’s tenants are now fully paid up.