MAF and Massmart still at war
FOURWAYS – Massmart urged to build Makro in Diepsloot, not Fourways.
Chairman of the Magaliessig Action Forum (MAF), Mary Hanna has dismissed claims that Massmart has met with the forum several times.
Hanna’s utterances followed after Massmart’s Annaleigh Vallie told Fourways Review that her company held meetings with the forum in an effort to understand their concerns. Massmart and MAF are deadlocked over the construction of a Makro centre within the residential area of Magaliessig in Fourways.
Read: Magaliessig residents stage human chain protest over Makro development
She shot down the claims and said the forum has only met with Massmart once in the past, six years ago. “We met Makro officials once in 2010 and they have never been sensitive to our concerns, as they have claimed,” fumed Hanna in a telephone interview with Fourways Review on 8 July.
“They are interested in business and care less about the concerns of the residents.”
The residents are worried about the high traffic volume which will result from the giant retail centre. The battles have seen the two parties dragging each other to the Gauteng Township Board where Massmart was recently given the go-ahead to construct their centre.
Vallie, however, maintained that they met several times to address the concerns of residents. Hanna accused Makro of misrepresenting facts in the media. “There have not been ‘numerous occasions’ when members of Magaliessig Action Forum met with Makro management.
“The only meeting that took place was on 19 April, 2010. We request details of the ‘number of initiatives to address residents’ concerns’ that resulted from these ‘numerous’ meetings.”
She added that Massmart’s celebrated new urban design was not an answer to their concerns. “With reference to ‘the new ‘urban’ design which had already been deployed in Cape Town, the Makro chief executive officer commented at the launch of Cape Gate that the new generation Makro stores will still have a warehouse look, but skylights will let in natural light and save energy,” said Hanna.
Read: Makro to dig deep for proposed store
She also dismissed as unrealistic the suggestion by Massmart to reroute delivery vehicles within the precinct to the furthest point from the residential area. “How do delivery vehicles get to the proposed site? Fly? All access roads traverse residential areas. It is worth noting that more than 100 trucks per week day can be anticipated to deliver goods and then exit the site,” said Hanna.
She urged Massmart to build their centre in Diepsloot since the company intends to offer employment to residents of the populous township.
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Makro in Magaliessig melee continues
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