Harare, Zimbabwe — The Zimbabwean government has commenced the servicing of land in Mt Hampden, where the country’s new commercial and administrative capital is set to rise.
With land allocation expected to begin soon, the development of the new city is gathering significant momentum.
This follows the recent government repossession of 47 farms covering approximately 15,500 hectares across the Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central provinces. The land is earmarked to accommodate over 1.5 million residents.
Work has already begun on offsite infrastructure, including the identification of sites for railway and bus termini. Additionally, final plans for the expansion of Charles Prince Airport are expected to be completed by November 2024. The government is also pushing for the completion of 18 residential villas, which will be part of the new city’s landscape.
The new city concept, approved by Cabinet in December 2018, aims to decongest the capital, Harare, by creating a modern, smart city around the new Parliament building, which will serve as the centrepiece of the metropolis. The opening of this building is anticipated to accelerate the city’s development.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe confirmed that significant progress has been made. “Construction of the new city is already underway. Some of the infrastructure that will form the new city, such as the Parliament building and major roads from Harare, like the Boulevard and the Old Mazowe Road, are now complete,” said
Garwe in an interview with The Sunday Mail. “The master plans were also done, and now we are working on master plans for the five zones. Once that is done, we will be calling for local and international investors.”
Shingirayi Mushamba, Chief Director for Spatial Planning and Development in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, added that the initial focus will be on commercial and administrative stands.
“We are proceeding with the construction of the new city and have started servicing land in preparation for the allocation of stands. This includes offsite infrastructure, water, sewer, and other major infrastructure,” Mushamba explained.
The ongoing phase also includes identifying locations for railway and bus termini, with plans for Charles Prince Airport’s expansion in preliminary stages. The serviced land will primarily be designated for light industries, commercial enterprises, and hotels, with a greater emphasis on business investments rather than residential stands.
Policymakers believe that the establishment of Mt Hampden as a new city will help alleviate the overcrowding in Harare, whose population has surged from an estimated 616,000 in 1980 to the current 2.2 million. The new city is envisioned as a smart city, heavily emphasizing information and communication technology.
The master plan outlines a four-phase development spanning 10 years. The first phase, already underway, focuses on creating traction and developing infrastructure, funded through the Treasury and private sector donations. The subsequent phases will involve developing baseline infrastructure, and commercial, residential, and industrial areas, with funding from public-private partnerships (PPPs), foreign direct investment (FDI), and other financial instruments.
The final phase will see continued development of these areas beyond the initial 10 years, primarily driven by private equity, PPPs, FDI, and syndicated loans. The government’s ambitious vision for Mt Hampden aims to create a modern, vibrant city that will serve as a new hub for Zimbabwe’s commercial and administrative activities.
Source: Sunday Mail