SPEAKER of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda has said government will strictly supervise the construction of the new $450 million parliament building by Chinese contractors to ensure that high standards are met.
By PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
The Chinese have provided a $50 million grant to Zimbabwe for the construction of a new parliament complex at the proposed new capital in Mt Hampden.
The new structure’s main chambers will have capacity to accommodate 650 MPs.
Officially launching the Zimbabwe Parliamentary Journalists’ Forum on Friday, Mudenda said construction of the new building was expected to take up to 18 months.
“We will ensure that they [Chinese] don’t do what they did in Malawi where they constructed a brand new parliament and five years down the line there were cracks,” he said. “And we are advising our architects, structural engineers to watch out for those problems.”
The speaker highlighted that the construction of the parliamentary complex had been held up by civil works that were ongoing.
“There is a new parliament that is coming, although some people say it’s not coming. Water reticulation will be completed and the roads will be opened, that is what funders are waiting for,” he said. “We want a parliament that will be able to sit 650 people — it’s not that we will be increasing the number of MPs.”
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Mudenda claimed that Zimbabwe’s economy would greatly improve in the next nine months.
“Very soon and I give you less than nine months and I won’t tell you why I’m so optimistic, but in less than nine months or thereabouts our economy will be ticking,” he said.
“There will be no more financial liquidity here, so much that the American dollar will be like picking tomatoes. Mark my words and if that doesn’t happen, come and cut my little finger.”
The former Matabeleland North provincial governor said he was confident because in 1986 he correctly predicted the signing of a Unity Accord between PF Zapu and Zanu PF.
The new journalists’ forum is the first organisation that represents the interests of scribes who frequently cover the august house. It is chaired by Alpha Media Holdings senior parliamentary reporter, Veneranda Langa.
The forum is meant to help journalists communicate as a unity easily with parliament’s administration and foster a culture of professional conduct among its members.
