The latest World Population Report estimates that Zambia faces a housing deficit of 3.3 million by 2030 if nothing is done now to avert it. The nation’s existing housing stock currently stands at about 2.5 million houses for a population of about 16 million, says the report.

It is in view of this that Minister of Defence Davies Chama urged the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) to build affordable houses at its Kingsland City to make it easy for ordinary Zambians to buy them.

He said building affordable medium and low-cost houses will enable both ZAF personnel and the general public to buy them.

He was speaking when he laid the foundation stone for the construction of Ibex Aviation Town Primary School.

Mr Chama said he had received complaints from members of the public that housing units which are being sold under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) are expensive.

It is important that property developers take heed to Mr Chama’s advice on the cost of housing units to avoid the tragedy of the Northgate complex.

These housing units are the ‘goods’ that should benefit both the developers and the buyers but it becomes a tragedy for both if the benefits accrue to neither

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