R200m shopping centre in Mpumalanga gets the nod

After 17 years of waiting, the residents of Marite in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, will finally see the construction of a multimillion-rand shopping centre which will create jobs for the locals, says developer Norah Fakude.

The development was delayed by a family that refused to relocate, claiming that their culture did not allow them to exhume the remains of their relatives buried in the yard.

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The family will remain on the site while the construction of the centre continues.

“Yes, it is true that the construction of the shopping centre has been approved by all relevant bodies. After failing to convince the family to relocate their structure and the graves, we concluded that we should redesign the structure of the project.

“As I am talking to you right now, the engineering team is working on the new structure that will allow us to work without affecting the family’s prohibited yard,” said Fakude.

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Fakude, a leading South African businesswoman, said the more than R200 million shopping centre will comprise about 50 shops.

She said at the construction phase, the project will create 350 jobs and when it is finalised, will offer more than 400 permanent jobs and also accommodate countless casual workers.

The sod-turning event will be held in Marite tomorrow to formally introduce the project to the public, said Fakude.