20 Mar 2014

There is great anticipation and jubilation among residents ahead of the opening of the Mongala Mall in Kanye.

Residents of Kanye have expressed happiness that the mall will give their village a facelift and generate much needed jobs. Mongala Mall will be officially opened on March 27 and the whole village is abuzz with anticipation ahead of the opening, as some are hopeful that they will find jobs while others are happy to have a fully-fledged shopping mall nearby.

Mr Moses Mokane of Mafhikana ward said he was happy that the mall was easily accessible as it was located in the centre of the village. He said the mall would also add to developments in Kanye which had been lagging behind in terms of infrastructure developments.

“We used to do our shopping in old missionary buildings around the village, but now we have a modern facility,” he said. Another resident, Ms Lebogang Ragabane of Ntsweng ward urged employers to give residents of Kanye and nearby villages priority when hiring employees.

She said it was important for residents to benefit from developments in their area. Mr Cosmos Tselaesele of Kgosing ward raised concerns that the mall will be easily congested because it was located within the bus rank.

He also implored service providers to ensure that all services were always available at the mall. Mongala Mall was a joint venture between the Southern District Council (SDC) and Time Projects, aimed at generating revenue for the council and reducing dependence on government.

SDC Senior Public Relations Officer Mr Thapelo Timuno said revenue generated from the mall will enable the council to provide services that were usually not catered for in the normal council budget.

“This project will arrest economic linkages that have been flowing out of the district to other areas,” he said.

Some of the shops that will occupy the mall include Spar, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Debonairs Pizza, Jet, Mascom, Edgars, Mr Price and 36 kiosks for local entrepreneurs. Meanwhile Kanye Police have warned residents to be vigilant and watch out for thieves when they visit the mall. ENDS