Parliament relocates to new premises

Harare (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe’s tenth parliament will have its first sitting next Tuesday at its new US$200 million building in Mt Hampden, about 25 kilometres northwest of the capital.

The official opening of the first session of the tenth parliament follows last month’s general elections in which new representatives were elected.

The new six-storey Parliament building was built by the Shanghai Construction Group, funded by the Chinese government.

Zimbabwe mooted plans to construct a new Parliament building over a decade ago but failed to do so due to lack of funds.

The idea followed the expansion of the legislature to two chambers, which can no longer fit in the existing building, constructed during the colonial era.

In an extraordinary gazette, President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaimed October 3 as the day of the first session of the new Parliament.

“Now, therefore, under and by virtue of the powers vested in me as aforesaid, I do, by this my Proclamation, fix the New Parliament Building, Mt Hampden, as the place in which the First Session of the Tenth Parliament of Zimbabwe shall be held: twelve o’clock noon on Tuesday, the 3rd October, 2023, as the time and date on which the First Session of the Tenth Parliament shall begin,” he declared.

Zanu PF has 176 lawmakers in Parliament, while the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has 110 MPs.
In the senate, Zanu PF has 33 senators and the CCC has 27.

The 60 senators from the two political parties will be joined by 18 chiefs and two representatives of people with disabilities.

The new national assembly has a capacity of 400 people while the senate can take 150.

There are 15 committee rooms, a conference centre, and 600 offices to be occupied by parliamentarians and supporting staff.

New Ziana