Work on Zimbabwe’s new Chinese-constructed parliament building on the outskirts of Harare has been completed, with only the construction of access roads still outstanding.
According to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, construction of the main building is 100 percent complete and “final inspections are currently being conducted” by parliament and Ministry of Local Government officials.
“Structural work, furnishings of offices and chambers is done. Ancillary work around the building involving access roads and lighting is currently underway,” it said.
Construction of the new parliament building, which is located in Mount Hampden, was initially set to be finalised by March 2021 but work was disrupted by the lockdowns necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new parliament building is being constructed by China’s Shanghai Construction Group and is located about 25 kilometres northwest 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