Mr. Kennedy Chokuda, the clerk of Parliament, has announced that the Parliament of Zimbabwe has moved to the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden. According to a statement seen by Pindula News, the relocation is estimated to take around two weeks, starting from Monday, 30th October 2023. Read the statement:
Parliament of Zimbabwe Relocates to the New Parliament Building
The Parliament of Zimbabwe wishes to inform all its valued stakeholders that it is relocating from the current building located in the Central Business District (CBD), to the new Parliament Building located in Mt Hampden.
This historic relocation follows the successful handover of the New Parliament Building by the People’s Republic of China to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, who subsequently handed it over to the Speaker of Parliament The New Parliament is a magnificent and imposing edifice that symbolizes the enduring cultural heritage, abiding values, hopes, aspirations and achievements of the Zimbabwean people.
The relocation process is expected to take approximately two weeks, beginning on Monday, 30th October 2023. In that regard, some services provided by the Parliament of Zimbabwe may be temporarily interrupted or delayed during this relocation process. However, we will strive to ensure that critical services continue to be provided through our personnel stationed either at the CBD or the New Parliament Building offices.
We wish to apologise for any inconveniences that may be caused by the relocation and we appeal to all stakeholders and the general public to bear with us during this transitional process. We remain committed to serving you better from our new premises.
China has been involved in designing and constructing modern parliaments in several African countries as part of its diplomatic push on the continent. These new buildings incorporate local design elements but resemble China’s own architectural style.
The projects are often given as gifts, without any attached loans.
China has built or refurbished parliaments in around 15 African nations, along with other government buildings such as Burundi’s presidential palace and the African Union headquarters. According to experts, these parliament-building initiatives not only strengthen China’s ties with African governments but also allow Beijing to gauge the political climate in these countries. By engaging with ruling parties as well as opposition factions, China can hedge its bets and maintain influence in case of regime change.