THE construction of Zimbabwe’s new parliament building, which is China sponsored, has reached its last stage, with the edifice expected to be turned over to the government early 2022, according to China Central Television (CCTV).
The Chinese state-owned Shanghai Construction Group is constructing the new six-storey structure on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. The main conference space will seat 650 people, whereas the existing one can only accommodate 100.
High-ranking government officials, including Ziyambi Ziyambi, the minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; July Moyo, the minister of Local Government and Public Works; and Clemence Chiduwa, the deputy minister of Finance and Economic Development, visited the project site earlier December for an assessment of the building. Minister Ziyambi said the high-powered group toured the project to check progress and talk with contractors about completion timelines. He added that they were assured that the project would be finished in March 2022.
Additional conference facilities, committee rooms, larger office spaces, and a parking lot will be available. The construction is part of a larger infrastructure project that involves the development of a new city near the building.
The new parliament building, whose construction began in November 2018, will be finished early next year and handed over to local authorities in April.