Prime Time develops Kanye mall in PPP deal

Lekopanye Mooketsi | Friday November 8, 2013 15:31

 

Prime Time Director, Property Management Division, Turnie Morolong, said they have leased the land from the council for 45 years to develop the mall at their expense. 

When the lease period lapses, all developments on the plot, which used to house the bus rank, will revert to the council.  He said tenancy at the shopping complex will be leased out by the company.  Although the project is still under construction, the developer is already paying the council P20,000 every month. Once the project is complete, the council will earn five percent of the gross monthly income. Morolong said the shopping complex will start operating in April next year.

“Everything is on track. We are well within schedule and budget,” he said. The construction of this P70 million project commenced in February last year.  Morolong said Mongala Mall is anchored by the 1,800 square metres Spar Supermarket. He said that the idea is to usher in shops that were not available in Kanye. Some of the tenants would include Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Edgars, Active, Mr Price, Pep, Furnmart, Shabba’s Fish and Chips, among several others. 

There would also be small shops, among them a boutique and hair salon, that would be reserved for Batswana.  

“Bimbos will also be run by Batswana as well as Taku Taku,” he said, adding that rental space is already fully booked. 

“We are also going to have stalls to cater for hawkers,” the property developer said.

He said that they will outsource security services as well as cleaning and waste management from local firms. “We also want the centre manager to be from Kanye. This is a way of giving back to the community,” said the official.

Senior Public Relations Officer at the council, Thapelo Timuno, said the PPP exists to boost council coffers.  He said the budget for local government is never enough. 

Timuno said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development  encourages local authorities to come up with initiatives to supplement their budgets.  The council official said the plot is fully serviced.  He said that the council will use revenue from the mall to supplement its budget.  It will use part of the money to provide services that were not catered for in the council budget.  “We will be less dependent on the central government,” he said.