CABINET ministers and senior Government officials yesterday toured infrastructure projects in the capital to assess progress ahead of the 44th SADC Summit to be hosted by Zimbabwe in August and said they were happy with the work done so far.
The assessment came as preparations are also in the final stages, with key infrastructure such as roads, Information Communication Technology systems and accommodation now almost ready.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona led yesterday's tour.
In the touring delegation were the Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi, National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Zhemu Soda, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Omphile Marupi and Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Philip Sibanda.
The Deputy Chief Secretary and National Coordinator responsible for flagship programmes and projects in the Office of the President and Cabinet Engineer Amos Marawa, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana and Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) chief executive officer Clever Ruswa were also part of the touring party.
The officials first toured the Zimbabwe Defence Forces' referral hospital at Manyame Air Base before moving to the VVIP Pavilion at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
They also toured some diplomatic rooms under renovation at Rainbow Towers Hotel and the Harare International Conference Centre, at the same hotel, which is also undergoing an upgrade.
After the HICC, the delegation moved to the Museum of African Liberation and proceeded to the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden.
From Parliament they went to Geo Pomona Waste Management as well as a number of stretches of roads being rehabilitated, that lead to the new Parliament Building.
The rehabilitation of roads leading to the new Parliament Building by local contractors and the infrastructure development projects underway impressed the Government and the contractors were directed to speed up while ensuring quality work is guaranteed.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga chairs the committee in charge of monitoring the road and infrastructure works.
In an interview, Minister Mhona said: "This was a very important tour where we started at Manyame (Air Base) where we have a state-of-the art referral hospital that we are constructing.
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"We then proceeded to the VVIP pavilion which is now almost complete, we are just doing the cleaning up and making sure that in terms of purification."
On Rainbow Towers Hotel, he said, there were amazing presidential and diplomatic suites that will accommodate 11 Heads of State in addition to more rooms at Hyatt Regency The Meikles.
"Precisely the idea was to see for ourselves and also interrogating the contractors which is also the culture of the Second Republic. We just don't pay (contractors) but we have to witness and see ourselves as the leadership," Minister Mhona said.
He applauded the local contractors saying they have the capacity to compete within and across the borders in terms of quality work.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said the progress made so far in preparing for the regional summit was impressive.
"We can say with confidence that this VVIP Lounge will be completed in the next two, three weeks and will be ready for hosting Heads of State. We are happy that the people on the ground are working 24/7 to make sure that they meet the target.
"Going to Manyame Hospital, we are still struggling, we are 85 percent on average in terms of just the infrastructure, the structure itself," she said.
