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NewsDay

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Fidelity allocates South View stands

Business
FIDELITY Life Assurance has buckled to pressure from would-be house owners and has started to allocate stands for the contentious SouthView Phase II housing project.

FIDELITY Life Assurance has buckled to pressure from would-be house owners and has started to allocate stands for the contentious SouthView Phase II housing project.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

The listed financial services group has been in the eye of a storm after failing to honour its side of the bargain to purchasers, who bought residential stands at its South View housing project

At least 786 stands out of 2 896 customers’ allocated stands now have Harare City Council compliance certificates and owners are free to build.

“The 748 stands that we are still waiting for were inspected by the Harare City Council in September 2017 and it is possible that they will be certified by October 30, 2017. The 1 362 remaining stands are undergoing final onsite development work and will be certified before the end of the year,” Melanie Gumbo, Fidelity group marketing manager, said.

“The development work is progressing well and is scheduled for completion before the end of this year. We have allocated stands for every customer that has paid the required minimum deposit.”

Including phase 1, South View Park has 5 300 stands along Beatrice Road between Amalinda and Cecil roads.

The stands comprise residential stands averaging 240m².

SouthView Phase II residents’ chairperson, Tonderai Chiota confirmed to NewsDay that the company was now playing its part to fulfil its side of the bargain.

“We got the information that at least 786 stands have been given the certificate of compliance and the remainder must be inspected by end of October. We hope that by end of November we should be given the compliance certificate,” he said.

“In as far as the stands are concerned we are happy, we were informed that [The Insurance and Pensions Commission] Ipec gave the decision that they must focus on this particular project before concentrating on the Langford one.”

The Insurance and Pensions Commission has been probing the company for failing to honour its part of the bargain, as the financial services organisation was blamed for giving more attention to its Langford Estates and neglecting SouthView Park projects.

Chiota, however, said residents were disgruntled that Fidelity was now shifting goal posts on water and electricity installation.

“Right now they are drilling manual boreholes and not running water as was per our agreement. In as far as electricity is concerned they are now saying we should put it on our own,” he said.