BY King’s Office Correspondents
HARARE, ZIMBABWE – His Majesty King Mswati III visited the State-of-the-Art new Zimbabwe Parliament and became the first Head of State to be shown around by President Emerson Mnangagwa.
The 90 million US dollars (approximately E1.6 billion), the People’s Republic of China sponsored Parliament is built in what is going to be the new Smart City in Mount Hampten.
The President led His Majesty around the majestic building taking him to the Senate House, the National Assembly, the Vice President and Speaker’s offices and other fully fitted break-away rooms for committees, dining and banquet halls.
President Mnangagwa told His Majesty the King that the new Parliament was designed by local experts, whose drawings were inspired by Zimbabwe’s history. To build this landmark building has taken
four years, building began in 2019 after the President cut the sod in November 2018 when he assumed power.
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“Your Majesty this building was a gift to the people of Zimbabwe from the People’s Republic of China’s founding fathers. In my early years 1963 or 1964 in the struggle, I met President Xi Ping’s father whilst I was in training in China and made cordial relations. I was made a member of the PLA as a good gesture for their relations. When his son took over power he recalled the cordial relations we had with his father and in recognition of that he gave us this new Parliament,” he said.
His Majesty the King, who was met by an enthusiastic crowd briefly thanked President Mnangagwa for making a productive programme which took him to several places including Victoria Falls, where he
attended the Smart Africa Alliance meeting, known as Transform Africa Summit.
From Victoria Falls, the King and his delegation proceeded to Harare and then Bulawayo to open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and back to Harare.
“I would like to thank the President for inviting me to this beautiful country for a State Visit which I accepted. I have been very happy since we came here, being well received by His Excellency and his government and the people of Zimbabwe. You have made us feel at home. We have been very pleased to see the level of development we have seen. I am very happy to have been taken around the new majestic building. As I was moving around and admiring this majestic building, His Excellency told me that I was the first Head of State to come here,” the King said.
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His Majesty said this visit has assisted him to marvel at such a beautiful structure, which the Kingdom is about to embark on a similar project. He said designs are almost complete and now it gives the Kingdom an ally to look to and share experiences with on such projects.
“We don’t have to invent the new wheel, so we will consult you since whilst the designs may differ but the technology we have seen to be used in this new Parliament has inspired and given us some tips indeed,” the King said.
The King congratulated the President for putting up such a magnificent structure which will remain the legacy of this administration. He said Africa needs such beautiful structures and will go a long way as a demonstration of the achievements of this leadership.
