Zimbabwe’s new parliament building is more than 50 percent completed and is expected to be commissioned in September 2021, APA learnt here on Monday.
This was revealed during a tour of the construction site in Mount Hampden just outside Harare by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday.
Project contractors said construction, which was initially set to be finalised by March 2021, was currently 59 percent complete following disruptions to activities that were caused by the COVID-19 lockdown imposed in March this year.
The lockdown saw construction works stopped between April and June.
Mnangagwa was, however, happy with the pace at which the project has progressed despite the delays.
“There has been tremendous progress and achievements in terms of construction and finishing,” he said.
The new parliament building is being constructed by China’s Shanghai Construction Group and is located about 25 kilometres west of the Harare central business district (CBD).
The imposing six-storey building, sitting on a hill-top, will have a seating capacity of 650 members of parliament compared to 100 for the current parliament building.
It will also have extra facilities for conferencing, 12 committee rooms and adequate space for office staff and parking.
The existing parliament building, which is located in the Harare CBD and was built during the colonial era, had become too small as it could no longer accommodate all the 350 parliamentarians and staff members.
JN/APA