Construction of a new parliament building in
Zimbabwe is on track. Shanghai Construction Group, project manager for the building Cai Li Bo,
during a tour of the site said that the project was ahead of schedule despite
economic bottlenecks affecting operations.
Construction of the project was commissioned by
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2018 during which the president confirmed that
China provided a US $140m grant for the project with an aim to end the
overcrowding being faced in the august House.
The new parliament building’s architectural design
borrows heavily from the iconic Great Zimbabwe Monuments which is one of the
country’s leading tourist resorts and Unesco World
Heritage from which the country derives its name.
The imposing six-storey parliament building will
accommodate joint sittings of the senate and the national assembly. The two
chambers will have extra facilities such as office space for the staff, parking
space, 12 committee rooms and conference facilities.
The new parliament is located in Mount Hampden, 18 km
north-west of the national capital, Harare. Mt. Hampden is striving to achieve
a city status that is determined not by population but by the infrastructure.
The area is free from congestion and limitations from the city centre and there
is ample land for more infrastructure.
Construction of the parliament in Mt Hampden is
expected to trigger more development around the area such as banking halls,
residential areas, government buildings, universities, technological centres
and shopping centres. The new parliament access road is also under
construction.
President Mnangagwa’s vision of making Zimbabwe a middle class economy by 2030 has been the driving force for the project. The vision emphasis is more on service delivery in his government and accountability from the government officials and local authorities.https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/09/construction-of-us-140m-new-parliament-in-zimbabwe-on-track/
