POLOKWANE – The owners of the Seshego Plaza were told to remove 24 conatiners off the premises as they are in contravention of Municipal by-laws.
The chairperson of the Seshego Community against Crime and Gangsterism, Vincent Kunutu, says the decision was made during a meeting on Wednesday with various stakeholders after vendors operating at the plaza expressed dissatisfation over the containers that were up for lease.
Kunutu added that the owner of the plaza has to now apply for the containers with the Municpality housing department and that vendors will continue selling in demarcated areas.
At the time of going to print, the owner of the plaza told BONUS that the containers were delivered with the intention to uplift not only the centre but the community at large.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for tenants of these container shops to formalise their business in a safe and cost-effective way as the shops are safe and lockable. They will also receive protection from the plaza’s security,” he said.
The containers were located at the edge of the parking lot and formed part of the perimeter fence. The containers are fitted with wall shelving and a door that lifts up to become a roof to protect against sun and rain.
More than 45 prospective tenants had approached the plaza in the hope of snatching one of the 24 containers.
The owner added that they were looking to create a ‘container village’ with shared seating facilities where the community could meet, making it more than just a place to shop and that Wi-Fi had already been installed in the plaza’s parking area.
Monthly rental for the container was set at R500 and included a once-off, R1 000 refundable deposit to cover any overdue rent or damages.
“Vendors in the vicinity seemed excited for the project until they were informed about the monthly rental fee. The current vendors are illegally occupying and trading on Seshego Plaza land and we offered them a cheap alternative to become part of our family but they refused. A boycott will do nothing to the management of the plaza, but will only cause trouble for the current tenants and their employees who are all part of the local community.”
BONUS is currently awaiting comment from the owner regarding the decision made to remove the containers from the premises.
