SENATORS GRILL MINISTER ON E2BN HOTEL REPORTS

LOBAMBA – Senators challenged Prince Hlangusemphi to come clean about progress in the construction of the 500-room five star hotel and ICC.

They wanted the Minister of Economic Planning and Development to state whether or not funds were available to continue with the capital project, which started a year ago. This is a project which must be finished and ready for use during the 2020 African Union (AU) Summit.

The legislators were concerned that it appeared that the project had somewhat stalled. They also found recent media reports by the Times Sunday to the effect that government needed E2 billion on the project disturbing.

This was because a project of a similar scale taking place in Cape Town, South Africa would only cost  E680 million. Bheki Bhembe, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, was quoted having said the country had not yet received money for the hotel construction.

He also pointed out that a loan of E1 billion for the construction of the International Convention Centre (ICC) was approved by the Export and Import Bank of the Republic of China on Taiwan. Meanwhile, in Senate yesterday, Senator Lungile Gama said at this juncture, the minister himself needed to clarify the whole matter including the E2bn versus E680m cost factor. Senate Deputy President Ngomuyayona Gamedze just wanted the prince to separate the truth from fiction.

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