20-year wait for new Parliament Building

20-year wait for new Parliament Building

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By Lebo Nkatazo

THE Zimbabwe government has failed to build a new Parliament Building for the past 20 years.

In 1985, Mick Pearce a renowned local architect won a prize for the design of the building, which was planned for Harare’s Kopje area, but his design has been gathering dust at Parliament Building’s fifth floor.

Pearce, who was born in Harare, educated in South Africa and trained in London has designed other landmark buildings in Southern Africa. These include Harare’s Eastgate complex, Chinhoyi General Hospital and the University of Zambia’s hall of residence.

Last year, there was much expectations that the project would take off after President Robert Mugabe’s said work would commence “soon” during the official opening of the Fifth Session of the Fifth Parliament.

In July last year, Mugabe put the figure at $50 billion. It had been expected that Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa would allocate funds for the mega project in his budget. The 2006 budget announced recently was silent on the issue.

Parliamentary sources said this week that the government could not be forced by circumstances into revisiting the project after the inconvenience experienced by MPs who had to share their seats with members of the newly created Senate during the opening of Parliament last week.

“We have waited for the past 20 years for a new parliament Building. Those who care have over the years, lobbied for the release of the funds, but from the response we doubt if it will ever be built under this present government,” said a parliamentary source.

One MP complained that they were "packed like sardines" when Mugabe opened parliament last week.

No comment was immediately available from government officials.
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