Harare City Council has partnered two youth organisations in an initiative meant to revamp Robert Mugabe Road from Rekai Tangwena Avenue to Enterprise Road.
BY VANESSA GONYE
Smart 04 (Friends of the Sunshine City) and Young Architects’ Association of Zimbabwe (YAAZi) have pledged to ensure a facelift of historic buildings along the street.
Speaking at a Press conference in Harare on Wednesday, YAAZi chairperson Tsitsi Chihuri said Project Heritage Initiative was a first step in facelifting many streets in all cities and towns around the country, starting with those named after the President Robert Mugabe.
“After carrying out our own ground survey, we noticed that other than disorderly vending, Robert Mugabe Road is riddled with old buildings that require repainting and in some cases overall refurbishment. The road is the second springboard of tourism after Harare International Airport and it’s the main reason we are focusing on it as our first port of call,” she said.
Chihuri said as young architects, it was also a platform to display their knowledge while at the same time addressing a big challenge to the city’s general outlook.
“Young Architects deserve a chance to showcase their capabilities in terms of creativity and modernism; today’s architects are conversant with the latest technology and innovation and they can be able to contribute immensely to modernisation,” Chihuri said.
“Our project has been accepted by the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing ministry as well as the Tourism, Environment and Hospitality Industry ministry and we shall be engaging property owners along the streets.”
