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Mukudzei Chingwere-Herald Reporter

THE infrastructure boom in and around Mount Hampden, the seat of a new city which has had fresh impetus from Zimbabwe’s hosting of the SADC Summit for Heads of State and Government in August, is the beginning of the accelerated development of a new capital.

Mt Hampden, which got a huge area lift with the construction of the new Parliament building, has of late seen a boom in construction including Nemakonde Way, which connects it to the highways leading to central Harare.

Ahead of the upcoming full SADC Summit, projects are being paced up to make sure the visiting Heads of State and Government and their delegations can move around the Harare area and reach the Summit facilities in and around Parliament in Mt Hampden.

This, Cabinet ministers advised, is not a bubble to burst with the end of the summit, but will be sustained beyond the gathering, thus giving the new city a firm launchpad.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Winston Chitando, said the infrastructure boom in and around Mt Hampden is not only for the SADC summit but the launchpad for a new city.

“I am sure you are all aware of the establishment of the new city in Mt Hampden. There are a number of plans for construction projects some which have started, some in the pipeline and others which will come as the new city is established.

“So, you will find that there is infrastructure, the roads that we have alluded to as well as the 2.8 megalitre water tank. These are structures which will service not only what we have now but are in the greater plans of servicing the new city,” said Minister Chitando.

The Government has also been impressed by the quality of work by local construction companies partaking in road construction and is confident the roads can last up to 20 years before needing extensive rehabilitation.

Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona clarified on the road rehabilitation, reconstruction and maintenance they are doing and the expected life span of the roads.

“When we reconstruct a road, we are talking of plus 20 years just doing routine maintenance for that particular road. So the way we are rehabilitating, reconstructing our roads, what we are doing there we are reconstructing the roads so we would give plus 20 years and thereafter we will start doing what we call resealing.

“We are also reclaiming the entire Julius Nyerere Way stretch to meet the SADC set standards of constructing roads. This is to ensure that the tonnage that moves along that road will be in tandem with what is expected of SADC,” said Minister Mhona.

Also, multinational companies have expressed interest in taking part in the construction of the new city.

Mabetex Group, headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, which is reportedly eager to participate in the construction of other amenities in Mt Hampden, is a civil engineering and construction company specialising in construction of mega projects.

Government has said that President Mnangagwa was impressed by the capabilities of the Swiss-based company and negotiations will be entered soon for them to participate in the construction of a hotel and conferencing facilities in Mt Hampden as well as Zimbabwe’s chanceries in four missions abroad.