Much-awaited mall opening soon will boost economy
OUT of the ashes of the ill-fated othongathi Mall where a section of the building under construction collapsed and claimed the lives of two workers and injured 29 others in November 2013, a new edifice of hope has arisen.
Residents of Tongaat especially are expected to be the main beneficiaries of the othongathi Mall project, which promises jobs, boosted local village economy and access to some national retail chain stores.
Provided there were no further delays, the first phase of the shopping complex was expected to open at the end of November and the forecast for completion was the end of March.
The ruins and all of the old mall were purchased by BBB Properties, a family-owned business, in 2019. After completely demolishing the remaining structures, BBB Properties have since worked on rearing the othongathi Mall, which, once completed, will provide nearly 18 000m² of retail shopping floor space and almost 450 parking bays.
Johan Botha, a BBB director, confirmed the mall would open in stages from November, and that Checkers and Shoprite would be anchor tenants on their gross lettable space (18000m²), among other national chain stores, banks and smaller shops for local businesses.
“It was not a challenge to sell floor space, most tenants were on board since 2018.”
Botha said they were not put off by negative perceptions associated with the property they bought. The previous owners and associates of the Tongaat Mall were controversial businessman Jay Singh, who is now dead, his former wife, Shireen Anamalay and son Ravi Jagadasen.
A Department of Labour inquiry was instituted after the mall disaster caused the deaths of 51-year-old Zwelibanzi Masuku and Zakithi Nxumalo, 28. It was established that the neck of a column exploded, which resulted in the collapse of the concrete slab it supported, in a section of the mall.
The commission also learnt that there were various contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and construction regulations at the building site. “We adopted a positive outlook and considered the end result. If the mall opens, everyone trades and everything is in place, whoever comes here will have a pleasant experience in a clean and safe environment.”
Botha said they engaged with the stakeholders, did their own feasibility check and once they were satisfied with the number of national tenants they would have, a deal was struck. To ensure the construction of the mall was in accordance with the required norms and standards, Botha said they hired various engineers and other experts, who were first vetted.
“All work must be signed off by municipal inspectors to ensure compliance.”
Don Perumall, chairman of the Tongaat Civic Association, said they anxiously awaited the opening as the project would create jobs and improve business vibes in the area.
“We are in support of the mall. We lost two large chain stores and jobs during last year’s looting. The floods caused further job losses. The mall will provide a boost.”