THE construction of former President Robert Mugabe’s
daughter, Bona Chikore’s sprawling property in the leafy suburb of Umwinsidale
in Harare has reportedly stalled following the ousting of her father, with the
Chinese developer reportedly deserting the project.
The property, which sits on a hilltop, is still in the
initial stages of development.
Large tracts of land were sliced to make way for roads
leading to the construction site and to form a picturesque landscape that would
have made the property one of the most magnificent in the area.
The multi-million-dollar project, which was started in May,
was moving at supersonic speed before Mugabe’s dramatic exit from office on
November 21.
The property, where trespassing is strictly prohibited, is
still under Zimbabwe Republic Police guard, although there is no security fence
or precast wall on the other side.
Neighbours, who were in awe at the manner in which the hill
was carved, were forthcoming with directions to the property.
They told NewsDay yesterday that the contractors and their
equipment vanished when problems started mounting for the Mugabes.
“We would see them, Bona and her husband, now and again
monitoring progress,” a neighbour, who declined to be named, said.
“They would pass through here and they were friendly to
people. Usually, when they came, people would rush to catch a
glimpse of them before they entered the gate and drove through the hill.”
A NewsDay crew was denied entry to the property at 153
Lunar Road and told to look for the Chinese contractor, who was said to be
supervising the construction of another property elsewhere.
“People are saying a lot of things about this property and
the best people to talk to are the clients or the contractor,” one of the
workers said.
“In fact, you can look for the contractor, he is
supervising construction of another house somewhere across the road.
“We are not allowed to talk to you. “But it is not true
that the contractor has vanished.
“The main contractor sub-contracted another Chinese
national, who then moved away his earthmoving equipment at the beginning of the
Mugabe crisis.
“He is not the main contractor and his departure doesn’t
affect business here. After all, what is making the process stall is the fact
that we are waiting for reinforcement equipment and once that is in place, you
will start to see activity again.”
Mugabe and his family have been accused of abusing State
resources for their personal gain.
Bona and her husband, Simba Chikore, could not be reached
for comment yesterday. Newsday
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