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Mr Kennedy Chokuda

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Government has struck a deal with a private firm to refurbish Quality International Hotel in Harare at a cost of $4 million.

It would recoup the money from levying Parliament once legislators start using it.

Quality International Hotel, located near Parliament building, has been lying idle since it was bought by Government owing to non-availability of resources to refurbish it.

Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda confirmed the development on Wednesday.

“Government has identified a firm to renovate it. Once completed, it will be run under a management contract. Members of Parliament will be booked into the hotel the same way we do in respect of other hotels. The firm administering it will charge us the same way other hotels do so until they recoup their money,” said Mr Chokuda.

Although he could not give the costs of the renovation, sources said it was around $4 million, according to an evaluation done by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

“The hotel is no longer in our hands. The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and that firm signed a management contract agreement and this means the firm will be running the hotel. We will be booking the hotel like any other hotel in the capital,” he said.

Mr Chokuda said Quality International Hotel is set to accommodate more than 100 occupants.

Government bought the hotel as part of efforts to ease accommodation challenges that have seen legislators being ejected from some hotels owing to its indebtedness.

However, accommodation challenges for MPs are also set to ease when China completes a state-of-the-art Parliament with accommodation facilities in Mount Hampden on a grant signed between Harare and Beijing.