The former Quality International Hotel at the corner of Simon Muzenda Street and Nelson Mandela Avenue in Harare will open its doors next month as government offices after its transformation.
The announcement was made by the Principal Director for Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Retired Colonel Joseph Mhakayakora in Harare today.
The hotel building, which was bought by government in 2010 at the request of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement during the tenure former Minister Herbert Murerwa, has gone through some renovations in the past seven months and has changed its use from hotel to government offices.
The Ministry of Lands turned down the site in 2011 citing lack of parking space for the ministry’s huge clientele.
The building was then handed over to the Parliament of Zimbabwe which had long wanted a hotel near the legislative premises a stone throw away, in 2012.
This proposal did not see the light of day due to the lack of budgetary allocation for upgrading the structure and it remained unused until mid-2017 when it was repossessed by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
Renovations started in November last year and occupation starts next month.
The building was acquired by the government in 2010 at a cost of US$4.7 million and will house two government ministries among them the Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Ministry.
