President Mnangagwa cutting the ribbon during the handover of the Parliament Building at Mt Hampden recently
By Dickson Bandera
The Parliament of Zimbabwe has announced that it will be relocating from the current building located in the Central Business District (CBD), to the new Parliament Building located in Mt. Hampden.
The relocation process is expected to take approximately two weeks, beginning on Monday, 30th October 2023.
In a statement, Parliament said services may be interrupted during the relocation but efforts will be made to ensure essential services are offered.
“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,” reads the statement.
The New Parliament Building was handed over by the People’s Republic of China to president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who subsequently handed it over to the Speaker of Parliament on Thursday 26 October 2023.
The imposing structure was built on a space of 33000 square metres and comprises a six-story office complex and a four-story building housing the National Assembly and Senate.
The two buildings are linked by three bridges on each floor and the National Assembly can accommodate 400 people while the Senate chamber has a capacity of 150 seats.
It also has conferencing facilities, 15 committee rooms, office space for staff and a car parking area.
The new building’s design symbolizes the enduring cultural heritage, abiding values, hopes, aspirations and achievements of the Zimbabwean people.
