Construction of the multi-million dollar ZANU-PF Conference Centre, located about eight kilometres east of the city along the Gweru-Mvuma Road, has been stopped possibly until the end of the rainy season.

The Chinese contractor working on the project left the site in December after completing the first phase of the project.

Larry Mavhima, the chairman of the Midlands Development Association and the party's deputy provincial chairperson, said the project would resume at the beginning of next month.

"The Chinese company, which we contracted took a break soon after the ZANU-PF conference started as the rainy season was upon us and as such could not continue with the project," he said.

"However, we are expecting the contractor to be back in the country soon. I think the construction of the facility will resume during the first week of March... At the moment, the facility is being used for party functions only and will be open for any other functions once it is complete," he added, dismissing reports that the conference centre was now open for hire by members of the public.

Owned by a consortium of businesspeople aligned to ZANU-PF, the conference centre was hurriedly built for the party's 13th annual people's conference held in December last year, which forced the contractor to work round the clock.

It is expected to cost a whopping US$6, 5 million on completion and will have a sitting capacity of 5000. -- Own Correspondent.