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Wallace Ruzvidzo, Harare Bureau

ZIMBABWE’s quest to become an upper-middle-class society by 2030 is crystallising into reality as massive infrastructure development projects shape up across the country, President Mnangagwa has said.

Speaking after conducting an aerial tour to monitor the progress of construction works at the Mount Hampden Conference Centre, roads, and Presidential Villa sites which are being constructed ahead of the Sadc Summit of Heads of State and Government in August, President Mnangagwa yesterday said he was confident that Zimbabwe would host a successful event.

Further, the President said he did not doubt that construction works would be completed on time.

“I am satisfied that they are going to complete the construction of villas which are meant to facilitate accommodation for Heads of State.

“I am told that by the end of July, early August, everything will have been completed and I have no doubt that we will accomplish the task. Yes, I am very happy that my vision is actualising slowly . . . I am so happy,” the President said.

Zimbabwe, said President Mnangagwa, was working flat out to host the regional bloc’s Heads of State in an “environment never seen before”.

“Zimbabwe is a member of Sadc and summits are held by member states so there is nothing that is exceptional for Zimbabwe hosting the Sadc summit, but we are privileged that this year Zimbabwe has been chosen to host the summit.

“This is why we are working 24 hours to make sure we host Sadc, here, in an environment never seen before and I believe that,” said the President as he shared a lighter moment with the press.

He registered his satisfaction at the progress he had noted during his aerial tour of the site while also charging the engineers behind the project to build a city “better than Dubai” in Mt Hampden.

“I have told them (engineers) that I want a super Dubai here, my vision is to produce a new city that is better than Dubai so our children should not be going to Dubai, they should be coming to see the new city, the ED new city.

“The Boulevard from Parliament to Mazowe road as you fly, the shape is already out and I have no doubt that very soon it will be completed.

“This is one of the roads in the country that will be so beautiful, the design of the road, the beautification around it has been explained to me, it will be a wonder,” said President Mnangagwa.

In an interview after the President’s tour, Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) board chairman Dr George Manyaya said they were working tirelessly to ensure all road works around Mt Hampden meet set deadlines.

The works, however, were not hindering the progress of other road projects across the country.

“As Zinara we are mandated to collect funds and we must ensure that we also disburse the funds, we would like to confirm that together with Treasury and the Ministry of Transport, we are working to ensure that there is adequate funding for these projects so that we meet the deadlines.

“We are collecting and disbursing as we go, but this project is not affecting the operational issues we are doing with other road authorities, everyone who is bringing their certificates, we are disbursing funds,” Dr Manyaya said.

In August, Heads of State and Government from the regional bloc will be meeting to discuss pertinent issues affecting the region as well as solutions to challenges.

At the Summit, Zimbabwe will assume the chairmanship of the regional body.

Sadc is a regional economic community bloc comprising 16 member States, namely; Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.