Saddam palace for Mugabe
2003-04-24 05:07
Pretoria - The rush is on to complete the construction of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's "retirement mansion" after rumours that he would probably become a president with non-executive powers as of July 1 this year.
Informed sources say feverish negotiations between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are underway to reach an agreement that could save the country from "suicide".
As part of this agreement, Mugabe is expected to move into his new mansion in Borrowdale Brook Lane, an upmarket suburb in northern Harare, on July 1.
The house is estimated to be worth more than R37m. Construction work on the house started two years ago, but has recently gained momentum with the new deadline in place.
Mugabe apparently regularly visits the construction site to check on the progress.
The front of the house is built in a Chinese style, while every room in the house apparently has a different international culture as a theme. Those who have been inside the house, describe it as "opulent".
Four Moroccan craftsmen have been carving a dome in the banquet hall for more than a year. The decorations on the dome are apparently similar to that of President Saddam Hussein's palace domes in Iraq.
The house alone is said to comprise about 1 000 square metres. Two bulldozers in the garden are creating two dams on the estate.
Residents of Harare say it is a disgrace that Mugabe is openly flaunting his wealth while his fellow countrymen are living in poverty.
This is probably the reason why a sophisticated security system, to prevent uninvited guests from entering the property, is part of the plans for the house.
Several members of Mugabe's inner circle live in this suburb in equally luxurious homes. General Constantine Chiwenga, one of Zimbabwe's army generals who lives in a four storey house equipped with lifts, will be one of Mugabe's neighbours.