Zimbabwe steps up new city efforts

ZIMBABWE is stepping up efforts to build a new city in Mount Hampden by working on the requisite infrastructure, with President Mnangagwa having led a delegation to Switzerland last week on a familiarisation tour of the construction work carried out by the Mabetex Group.

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

It invited President Mnangagwa to Switzerland to showcase their works.

The President was impressed by the capabilities of the Swiss-based company and negotiations will begin soon for them to participate in the construction of a hotel and conference centre in Mt Hampden as well as Zimbabwe's Chanceries in four missions.

Speaking after yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere updated the country on the developments.

"Cabinet received the Report on His Excellency the President's Official Visit to Lugano from 30th to 31st January 2024 at the invitation of Mabetex Group," said Dr Muswere.

"The nation is informed that His Excellency the President, Dr E.D. Mnangagwa held a meeting with the executive management of the Mabetex Group, headed by the founder and owner, Mr Behgjet Pacolli, at the company headquarters.

"The Mabetex Group's investment portfolio includes the construction of major infrastructural projects such as airports, hotels and conference facilities," said Dr Muswere.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Frederick Shava, shed more light on the President's tour of duty in Switzerland.

"We have a big project in Mt Hamden which you have heard of and we have built as you know with the assistance of the Chinese Government, the new Parliament.

"There is a need for other facilities to support this new parliament, one such facility is a conference centre and a hotel.

"When they invited His Excellency the President to their headquarters, they were anxious and keen to show the President what they have done, they were also keen to inform the President what they could do for Zimbabwe.

"In that regard, Zimbabwe is talking to Mabetex Group to see if we can engage them in the redevelopment of our chanceries in four places – New York, London, Geneva and Addis Ababa – so we are looking at that in addition to the conferencing facilities that I mentioned earlier on.

"They took His Excellency the President through the paces of what they have done elsewhere and the President was very satisfied with their work, so they are coming here to do the developments of the conference centre.

"They have been here before, they have seen the sites, so what's remaining is for them to come with programmes and costing so that agreements can be entered into, and the developments can be done," said Ambassador Shava.

Meanwhile, Dr Muswere said Cabinet considered and approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on co-operation to combat cross-border livestock rustling between Zimbabwe and Botswana.

He said the MoU aims to establish a legal framework for co-operation between the two countries to harmonise efforts on combating livestock rustling and any other associated crimes.

Dr Muswere said Cabinet also considered and approved the MoU between Zimbabwe and Botswana on immigration co-operation.