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Don Makubaza
Correspondent

The assumption of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairmanship by President Mnangagwa at the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden this August is perfect timing.

Inextricably linked to the Second Republic, the flagship project and enduring edifice symbolises a master tactician and chief strategist. Parliamentarism means the honour to represent the masses; to be the voice of the voiceless. It speaks to the dignity of a nation.

This fact is not lost on the incoming SADC Chairman, President Mnangagwa, a former National Assembly Member, who rose to the zenith of the Legislature as a Speaker of Parliament during the 5th Parliament (2000-2005).

It comes as no surprise then, as it proves the indefatigable commitment the President has devoted to the elevation of Parliamentarism in the country, beginning from the construction of the imposing New Parliament Building.

The incandescent building is underpinned by the heightening of the sentience and ambience of the flora and fauna, which seeks to restore the capital to its former glory within the ambit of the beautification of Harare concept.

This is complemented by the epochal elevation of the infrastructure in and around the precincts of the seat of the Legislature, most notably, the intricate road network.

Most significantly, this is the first major summit to be hosted by the imposing structure since its official opening on October 26, 2023 when Vice Chairman of China International Development Cooperation (CIDCA), Cde Tang Wenhong, on behalf of the People’s Republic of China, handed it over to President Mnangagwa as a sign of the tenacious friendship between the two sister republics.

Hence, the SADC Summit will go down the annals of history for posterity as the first major conference to be hosted at the New Parliament Building. This is even more significant in that President Mnangagwa, a luminary behind its construction, assumes the avowed chairmanship of the SADC bloc.

The majestic and iconic building symbolises the aspiration for excellence in advancing the development agenda from a national and parliamentary perspective. As President Mnangagwa assumes the chairmanship of the regional bloc, his legacy is indissolubly linked to the massive infrastructural development witnessed in the country over the course of his tenure as President of Zimbabwe.

It is impossible not to notice the palpable signs of massive infrastructural development, as one traverses the length and breadth of the country. It is not in doubt that Zimbabwe has been saddled by an illegal economic embargo by the West for what seems to be time immemorial, which threatened to bring the country to a halt.

When President Mnangagwa took over, one of his major declarations was: none but ourselves can extricate the country out of the sanctions-induced quagmire that Zimbabwe faced.

The coming in of the Second Republic in 2018, not only signalled a change of guard, but ushered in a new philosophy and trajectory in national affairs as well.

The phrase “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi”, loosely translated to, “a country is developed by its own people”, has been a rallying call to all Zimbabweans to look inward.

It is a rallying call that has galvanised the people of Zimbabwe to nation building in all aspects.

The construction of the New Parliament Building is one such achievement.

It is impossible not to reference the intricate maze of road network undergirding the building.

The reality was that, while the New Parliament Building presented an exciting novel chapter in the legislative business of parliament, insofar as improved facilities and a conducive working environment is concerned, there was a critical deficiency in terms of access.

The hosting of a summit of such nature is usually reserved for the resort town of Victoria Falls, or the Rainbow Towers in central Harare.

The schematics have significantly changed with the official opening of the “majestic and iconic” New Parliament Building, as President Mnangagwa calls it.

The elaborate maze of road networks in and around the building has elevated, not only its status, but neighbourhoods in the vicinity are reaping the spin-offs of the work, too.

The metamorphosis and transition of the terrain and infrastructure is not only remarkable and phenomenal; it is intrinsically linked at the hip with the Vision 2030 agenda, championed by President Mnangagwa.

As the President ascends to the zenith of the SADC bloc, the terrain and landscape has been transformed into a world class Parliament, which is the vision of the Parliament of Zimbabwe. Quintessential in this endeavour, is the infrastructure around the New Parliament Building.

Brick-by-brick, stone-upon-stone, the building was constructed under the auspices of the incoming SADC Chairman.

Thus, it is only befitting that it plays host to the same summit that crowns the luminary behind the great architectural edifice.