Louis Trichardt gets first-of-its-kind mall
Makhado Mayor launches Madombidzha Mall offering jobs, convenience, and accessibility to Sinthumule and Kutama communities.
LIMPOPO – Makhado Mayor Dorcus Mboyi and chief Ntsundeni Sinthumule jointly opened the multi-million-rand, state-of the-art mall outside Louis Trichardt on Thursday 26 September.
The mall, which is the first of its kind in the area, was built by the McCormick Group.
During the opening, Mboyi said that the Madombidzha Mall was a symbol of the partnership between the private sector and government, and that the private sector was playing a pivotal role in creating jobs for the many unemployed community members.
“As a government, we support such initiatives and encourage other investors to follow in McCormick Group’s footsteps, taking development to the people. Gone are the days when communities around Sinthumule and Kutama have to travel long distances to get access to banks and to do their shopping, as the Madombidzha Mall will have what they need,” Mboyi said.
She added that they were delighted to see such development happening in the rural communities.
“We thank the traditional leaders and government for working together in making the programme a success. The mall will also play its part in bringing dignity to our rural communities, who will be proudly shopping near their villages,” said Mboyi.
Takalani Nemaungani, who represented the McCormick Group, said his company was ready to continue with developments as long as traditional leaders are willing to provide available land.
He said he wanted to thank a lot of people, because many stakeholders shared his vision before the mall was constructed.
“It has been quite a difficult and long journey with stumbling blocks, but we are happy because all our partners worked to make this dream a reality. We can only make things happen together, and today we are reaping the rewards of our partnership.”
Chief Sinthumule in turn said that he was excited about the development, which offered a better life for the local people.
“The mall will be a great relief for these people, who used to travel long distances to Louis Trichardt and Elim to do their shopping. Now they have the Madombidzha Mall close by.”
He made a plea to the communities to each play an active role in taking care of the mall and to report vandals, so that the mall can be preserved for future generations.
