The rehabilitation of Matapi Flats in Mbare is gathering momentum, with residents applauding the transformation, saying the project has restored their dignity and dramatically improved living conditions at one of Harare’s oldest high-density residential complexes.
The refurbishment, being spearheaded by the ED AID1 organisation, began three weeks ago and is targeting all 14 blocks of the three-storey hostels. The initiative seeks to improve sanitation, safety and the overall quality of life for thousands of residents.
A major highlight of the project has been the replacement of dilapidated pit latrines with modern toilets and the rehabilitation of communal bathrooms, ending decades of poor sanitation and inadequate privacy.
ED AID1 Project Manager Tinotenda Pande said the rehabilitation team encountered extensive damage to the plumbing and reticulation infrastructure, which had slowed the pace of work.
“We really underestimated how dysfunctional systems were at this place; there was literally no reticulation system to rehabilitate. We have also been delayed by the movement of people in and out and, at times, by residents using facilities that have not been fully completed,” he said.
The project also includes extensive tiling, painting, window glazing, paving, installation of protective window mesh and improved lighting to enhance both safety and the appearance of the flats.
Another Project Manager, Prince Munangwa, said the remaining works are focused on creating a safer and more dignified living environment.
“We are going to put glaze on all the windows, pave the exterior, tile the interior and install mesh on the windows to protect little children. We are also putting in lights because all that infrastructure was dilapidated,” he said.
Residents said the changes have brought renewed hope to the community.
“We are very happy with how this project is progressing. Ever since I started living here, I have never seen anything like this. It is truly a marvel. We feel like people again now,” said one resident.
Another resident, who recently returned from South Africa, welcomed the transformation.
“I was born here, and when I arrived, I was very happy that our home now looks like this. It is truly commendable,” the resident said.
An elderly resident said the project had restored the dignity and privacy that many had been denied for years.
“I am an old woman, and for years I had to bathe in the full view of young people without any privacy. It was like we were living in jail, but now our dignity has been restored as well as our privacy,” she said.
Beyond improving housing conditions, ED AID1 said the Matapi Flats rehabilitation forms part of a broader community development programme aimed at creating employment opportunities, stimulating local economic activity and delivering sustainable social support initiatives in Mbare.
