[imagesource: Mulk International]

Um, congrats, Zimbabwe?

I don’t want to be that person but part of me feels that it would be prudent to wait before celebrating the building of Africa’s tallest building.

What we do know is that Mulk International, an industrial conglomerate based in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, has begun to build a USD$500 million high-tech park on the outskirts of Harare.

Behold, Zim Cyber City and some very grand and lofty promises. The National News reports:

The development, spread across more than 232,257 square metres, includes government, residential and commercial buildings, and was granted an exclusive licence to develop a special economic zone dedicated to blockchain and digital assets, the company said.

Image: Mulk International

The project’s ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa…

The development is expected to strengthen the relationship between the UAE and Zimbabwe, and “stands to become Zimbabwe’s landmark project, offering a world-class, high-end lifestyle to all the residents”, Mr Mnangagwa said.

I don’t believe a word that comes out of that man’s mouth. Time and time again, he’s proven himself to be cut from the same cloth as his predecessor, Robert Mugabe.

Back to this futuristic city which will definitely benefit everyone and not just Zimbabwe’s elite and politically connected:

Zim Cyber City’s master plan includes the newly completed parliament building, ministry buildings, 250 townhouses, more than 80 luxury villas, apartment blocks, offices, a high-end retail arcade and a 15-storey commercial tower.

So, about that tower.

The $500m Cyber City in Mt Hampden launched by Mnangagwa and Dubai billionaire today will see Harare set its new CBD in follow up to new Parliament. The Mulk Tower will be the first of modern high rise steel and glass buildings. We’re moving on to modernise city infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/5l0VxNBzZj

— Bla B (@bmusonza) July 20, 2022

According to The Herald, a mouthpiece for the Zimbabwean government, the Mulk Tower is “projected to be the tallest building in Africa”.

That doesn’t sound very definitive to me but The Herald is all in at this point:

“We are excited for the opportunity given by President Mnangagwa to build Zimbabwe into a great country and one of the dominant countries in Africa,” [Mulk Holdings vice chairman, Mr Nawab Adnan UI Mulk] said.

The investments were facilitated by Dubai-based Zimbabwean businessman, Mr Tempter Tungwarara, who expressed joy that the projects were now taking off…

“Instead of crying and complaining about my country, I saw an opportunity to bring in investors, so l took the chance to market Zimbabwe and here we are,” he said.

Yes, here we are.

I’ll leave you with some thoughts from Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono:

The ZANUPF so called Second Republic has failed to deliver meaningful change since it took over from Mugabe in a military coup, such that its surrogates are stealing pictures from the Internet and claiming that it is in Zimbabwe.

The Lie. The Truth pic.twitter.com/fXjW6QG479

— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) July 21, 2022

[sources:natnews&herald]