How Zimbabwe’s new parliament symbolises China’s chequebook diplomacy approach to Africa
- China’s Shanghai Construction Group is erecting US$140 million parliamentary complex on top of a hill outside Zimbawbe’s capital, Harare
- Behind China’s largesse is a bid to capture the affection and allegiances of African elites, analysts say
With China’s help, a new city is taking shape on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, as Beijing deepens its influence in Africa.
A US$140 million six-storey parliament building being constructed on Mount Hampden, about 18km (11 miles) northwest of Harare, is the linchpin of a move by the southern African country to ease congestion in the crowded capital.
Sitting on the top of a hill, the imposing circular complex being erected by China’s Shanghai Construction Group is fully paid by Beijing, which regards the gesture as a donation.
The 33,000 square metre (355,209 square foot) complex will replace the current 100-seat, colonial-era building which Zimbabwean officials consider too small for the country’s 350 legislators.
Besides the parliament, the Zimbabwean government also plans to relocate some of its administrative units, including its judiciary and executive branches, to the site, where a state house and official residences for the speaker of the House of Assembly and president of the Senate also will be built.
The new city will also become home to the country’s reserve bank, upmarket suburbs, hotels and shopping malls.