WHAT A BEAUTY! . . . new Parly building a magnificent structure

Talent Gore
ALL that remains for the new Parliament in Mount Hampden is the official handover/takeover from the contractor Shanghai Construction Group to the Government of Zimbabwe.

The state-of-the-art building, which was fully funded by the Chinese Government, covers a total area of 33 000 square meters and has two main buildings. The office building accommodates 1 000 people and has more than 600 rooms. At the main entrance of the superstructure is a water fountain with the iconic Zimbabwe Bird decoration.

There is also a civic square, which provides a better view of the New Parliament, and which comes with television sets to allow the public to follow proceedings from outside.

The Senate room has a pure Zimbabwean flair, eye-catching ceiling, designer carpet, modern information communication and technology equipment.

Situated on a hilltop, the new Parliament building is a six-storey circular building, co-joined between two and four-part blocks.

The building will house the Upper Senate chamber and the Lower House of Assembly as well as a multi-purpose gallery and offices.

The National Assembly and the Senate have a full capacity of 400 and 150 respectively, 2 special committee rooms, 15 committee rooms and seven members’ lounges which are installed with advanced conference systems. Speaking during a media tour at the new Parliament, Project Manager Chai Libo said the parliament was ready for the official opening.

“Although we had a lot of challenges from the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic during the past two years, we never gave up.

“We did our best to provide a safe environment for our staff and local workers and ensured a continuous, smooth flow of activities on site while complying with the local construction industry regulations.

“There is no doubt that the New Parliament building will become a landmark building in Zimbabwe and even in the whole of Southern Africa.

“It will be another milestone for the China-Zimbabwe friendship which keeps getting stronger year after year.”

Chai Libo said they were supported by ZESA and ZINWA with the necessary spare parts for maintenance of power and water supply to the construction site as well as the nearby residents.