Mafenyatlala Mall to open in August

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday June 29, 2009 00:00

The complex occupies part of a plot where old Mafenyatlala Hotel used to be. The Tenant Coordinator of CBH, Chris Mpete, says while the mall will be opened for business in August, the official opening ceremony will be held at a later stage.

Mpete said the construction of the mall is complete, except for external works like the parking lot and a few finishing touches. The mall is composed of two separate blocks which are divided by a parking zone.

Tenants at the new mall will include Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), JB Sports, CB Stores, Dunns, Pep Stores, Taku, Dodo's Shoes, Cell City, Tops Bottle Store, Furnmart, First National Bank (FNB), Style Clothing, Jewellery Box, Cash Build, and Super Spar. There are also medical suites for occupation by private practitioners and kiosks for small businesses. Mpete says Mafenyatlala will be the biggest shopping mall in the Kweneng District and will create employment for up to 200 people.

CBH entered into a 35-year lease agreement with the Kweneng Rural Development Association (KRDA) which owned the famous Mafenyatlala Hotel that has since ceased trading. The company paid KRDA P2 million for the lease.

At the end of the lease period, the plot will revert to KRDA. However, the lease agreement has an extension clause option for the two parties. Sections of Bakwena have criticised this deal, saying the KRDA, which is a community initiative, had given away their land cheaply. 

But the Chairman of KRDA, Shima Monageng, who is also a property developer, holds that this was a reasonable deal in that this is merely a lease whereas the same amount (dimensions) of land could attract the same amount of money as a purchase price. 'The good thing about the project is employment creation,' Monageng says. 'The mall has also changed the landscape of Molepolole. We are inundated with calls from people congratulating the board. We are very happy and thankful to all the stakeholders.'  The KRDA would have wanted space reserved for Batswana traders, but they were slow making advance booking, he explains.