Zimbabwe’s imposing new Chinese-funded parliament opens

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa hailed “excellent” relations with China as he delivered for the first time a State of the Nation address at a new multimillion-dollar parliament building gifted by the Asian economic giant.

China funded and constructed the imposing and spacious $200 million, six-story parliament building in Mt. Hampden, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) west of the capital, Harare, as a “gift” — signifying its growing influence on the former British colony.

The address, which also served to officially open the last session of the current parliament before elections next year, marks the move from the colonial-era Victorian-style parliament building in central Harare. Zimbabwe says it plans to establish a new “smart” capital city in Mt. Hampden where government offices will be located, away from the congested Harare.

In his speech, Mnangagwa described the mountaintop chamber that sits on 3.3 hectares (8 acres) of land as “majestic.” He said