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HARARE, Zimbabwe — The Zimbabwean government has begun servicing the land at Hampden Hill, where the country’s new commercial and administrative capital will rise.
With land allocation about to begin, the development momentum of the new town is strong.
This follows the government’s recent acquisition of 47 farms covering approximately 15,500 hectares in Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central provinces, which will be used to resettle more than 1.5 million people.
Off-site infrastructure work has already begun, including identifying sites for rail and bus terminals. In addition, final plans for the Prince Charles Airport expansion are expected to be completed by November 2024. The government is also pushing for the completion of 18 residential villas that will form part of the new townscape.
In December 2018, the Cabinet approved the New City concept, which aims to ease traffic congestion in the capital Harare by creating a modern, smart city around the new Parliament Building, which will be the centerpiece of the metropolis. The opening of the building is expected to accelerate the city’s development.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Gawe confirmed that the project has made significant progress. “Construction of the new town is already underway. Some of the infrastructure that makes up the new town, such as Parliament House and major roads from Harare, such as the Boulevard and Old Mazowe Road, are now complete,” he said
“The master plan has also been completed and now we are working on the master plans for the five areas. Once that is completed we will recruit local and international investors,” Garwe told The Sunday Mail.
Shingirayi Mushamba, chief director of spatial planning and development at the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, added that the initial focus will be on commercial and administrative stands.
“We are moving forward with the construction of the new town and have started servicing the land in preparation for the allocation of stands. This includes off-site infrastructure, water supply, sewerage and other major infrastructure,” Mushamba explained.
The ongoing phase also includes determining the location of the rail and bus terminus, and plans to expand Prince Charles Airport in the initial stage. The serviced land will be mainly used for light industry, commercial enterprises and hotels, with a greater focus on commercial investment rather than residential land.
Policymakers believe the Mt Hampden new town will help ease Harare’s overpopulation problem, which has surged from 616,000 in 1980 to 2.2 million today. The new town will be built as a smart city with a strong focus on information and communications technology.
The master plan outlines four development phases over a 10-year period. The first phase has already begun, focusing on creating attractiveness and developing infrastructure, funded by contributions from the Ministry of Finance and the private sector. Subsequent phases will involve developing basic infrastructure as well as commercial, residential and industrial zones, funded by public-private partnerships (PPP), foreign direct investment (FDI) and other financial instruments.
In the final phase, these areas will continue to develop beyond the initial 10 years, driven primarily by private equity, public-private partnerships, foreign direct investment and syndicated loans. The government’s grand vision for Mt Hampden is to create a modern, vibrant city that will become a new hub for commercial and administrative activities in Zimbabwe.
Source: The Mail on Sunday
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