Harare City seeks new investor for Mbare mall

RYAN CHIGOCHE

The Harare City Council is in the process of finding a new investor as their previous partnership with a Chinese firm Consortio International Zimbabwe (CIZ) for the construction of an upmarket SME facility at the Shawasha Grounds in Mbare fell through, Business Times can report.

The project, on the cards for years, failed to take off due after the investor and the city fathers failed to agree on how the deal would be consummated.

The investor’s proposal to vary the joint venture agreement to allow them not to deposit the US$10m as stipulated in the agreement, but convert the same into material purchase was  rejected by Harare City resulting in the cancellation of the contract.

Harare City Council  Acting Corporate Communications manager Innocent Ruwende said the local authority is searching for a new partner for the Shawasha project.

“Also for Shawasha grounds we are also looking for a partner so that we build an upmarket facility as of now only temporary structures are being erected. Our previous partner unfortunately could not fulfill his part where he was supposed to put in US$10m with us providing  he ground so the contract had to be cancelled. As we are speaking our business development unit is working on the process of identifying a new partner,” Ruwende said.

He said temporary structures are now almost complete.

“On the Shawasha ground project where the government will build temporary structures for traders, we are still working there as of now there is work to be done on the ground also, so we have put a team together to manage the project and we expect it to be wrapped up soon,” Ruwende.

A joint venture agreement was concluded for the construction of Shawasha business complex in 2014 following a council resolution.

Phase one of the project involved the construction of 6 000 Flea Market kiosks and parking lot while phase two comprised the construction of a modern shopping mall and indoor sport facilities.

With temporary structures at Shawasha grounds being said to be completed soon, Harare vendors are going to be temporarily moved to the area bringing order to the streets of Harare.

Ruwende told Business Times the local authority is going to wrap up the Glenview  complex and the Coca Cola Market SME facility in the first quarter of 2022.

For the Coca Cola Market, Harare City was initially given US$15m by the government but the funds were exhausted before completion, stalling the project which was expected to have been wrapped up earlier in 2021.

Ruwende said that funding is now available for the projects. He said that the city council is going to use their own funds to complete the Coca Cola Market.

Ruwende added that they were also given funding by the government for construction of the Glenview complex which was demolished last year.

He said the Mupedzanhamo market will be reopened in a few weeks’ time.

The Coca Cola Market  at the corner of Seke and Dieppe roads, which is said to be now 90% complete is going to accommodate 1 000 and 1 600 vendors is expected to decongest and bring order in the central business district where informal traders have flooded the city pavements.