Structural works on the imposing six-storey Parliament
Building in Mount Hampden sitting on a 70-metre platform above the scenic
surrounding area, symbolically projecting legislative supremacy, are 100
percent complete, save for finishing internal and external undertakings.
Speaking on the side-lines of an Appreciation Tour of the
New Parliament Building by Service Chiefs yesterday, Ministry of Local
Government and Public Works acting Permanent Secretary Mr Christopher Shumba
said: “The final details are with the engineers, but we are happy that we are
ahead of schedule. As you can see the tour indicates that we are almost
through.
“The opening, however, is going to be delayed a bit because
of Covid-19. The number of people working here has also been reduced, so that
is our main worry. It becomes a bit difficult for us to give you the actual
opening day.”
Engineer Henry Hungwe, who is the acting chief director for
Public Works in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works weighed in:
“No more structural works will be undertaken, therefore,
the super-structure is now 100 percent complete. What is only left are internal
and external finishing endeavours to enhance the beauty of the structure and
make it usable. Such works to do with electricity, water supplies, air
conditioning and all that which makes habitation comfortable, are what they are
working on now.
On the work currently in progress he revealed that,
although “little work” is going on “there are about 80 Chinese workmen who are
plastering, doing the wiring for electricity, and some air-conditioning works
from the top coming down.”
“Because of Covid-19, we are off-programme by about three
months, but we were expecting the building to be done by April 2021. If the
number of workmen is increased, they might be able to catch up. Locals are
expected to be engaged by the end of this month; and a team that will be
bringing in the fittings from China is also expected by then,” he added.
Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner-General Godwin
Matanga appreciated the progress thus far, adding that they will advance their
recommendations in due course.
“One behalf of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, I would like
to thank the Minister of Local Government and Public Works for inviting us to
see the developments taking place at this New Parliament Building.
“We are going to sit with other stakeholders, and come up
with specific recommendations as far as security arrangements for this New
Parliament Building are concerned. For now it is very important for us to
ensure that we situate our police station inside the building itself, at the
convenience of the contractor of course.
“But for now we appreciate it so much. . . I hope we are
going to be invited once more to make sure that we make some final checks and
recommendations to the building.”
Also in attendance were Director- General of the Central
Intelligence Organisation (CIO) Ambassador Isaac Moyo, Zimbabwe Prisons and
Correctional Service (ZPCS) Commissioner-General Retired Major-General Paradzai
Zimondi, ZPCS Deputy Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu, Zimbabwe Defence
Forces Inspector-General Major-General Kasirai Tazira, and Ministry of Justice,
Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Permanent Secretary Mrs Virginia Mabiza. Herald
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