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Mukudzei Chingwere-Herald Reporter

INFRASTRUCTURE development and upgrading in Harare, ahead of the forthcoming 44th Sadc Summit, particularly around the site of the new city in Mount Hampden, is well on course, with the Government expressing satisfaction with progress.

After a tour of the facilities, the Deputy Chief Secretary and National Coordinator responsible for Flagship Programmes and Projects in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Engineer Amos Marawa, said authorities were impressed with the pace of operations and were upbeat that all the planned projects would be completed ahead of the regional summit.

Mt Hampden, the site of the new Parliament Building which is the main summit venue, is abuzz with construction activities as the Government races to put up supporting infrastructure by mid-August.

Ongoing projects include construction of link roads, accommodation and conference facilities, among others, which are being paced up in preparation for the hosting of visiting Heads of States and Government and their delegations.

The Government has said the ongoing works were not once-off, but will be sustained beyond the gathering, thus giving the new city a firm launchpad.

President Mnangagwa and senior Government officials recently toured the facilities and expressed satisfaction with the pace of developments.

The facilities also include the Manyame Air Base Hospital to be ready for use by the time of the summit to deal with any medical emergencies.

Work is also in progress at the Robert Mugabe International Airport, the Rainbow Towers Hotel, the Museum of African Liberation, the Geo Pomona Waste Management Plant and the University of Zimbabwe.

Eng Marawa said: “We are making preparations in terms of the infrastructure that is going to be used during the Summit.

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“We have a number of facilities, including the Manyame Hospital, which we hope will not be used unless needed. We toured the hospital and we think it will be ready before the summit.

“Most of the structural work has already been completed we are now at the stage of fitting in the equipment that is required for any referral hospital.

“We are confident that with the work that is going on and with the equipment that has been imported, we will be ready for the summit.”

He said the superstructures were already complete while most of the roads had been completed. 

“Most of the materials are here and we expect the rest of the materials to come from Beira port, Mozambique, by July 10.”

Eng Marawa said there was also going to be a public lecture by President Mnangagwa and the venue for the lecture at the University of Zimbabwe was almost complete.

“The President’s mantra is that Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo and true to his word, all the works that I have highlighted are all being done by Zimbabweans, planned, designed and being constructed by Zimbabweans.

“Most of the materials, except where we don’t have the quality that is required, is local,” he said.