GCC closes five shops at Airport Junction Mall

EPHRAIM KEORENG & GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writers | Thursday May 3, 2012 00:00

 

Gaborone City Council (GCC) yesterday closed down five shops at the new Airport Junction Shopping Centre in Block 10 after they were found to be operating without permits.

Mmegi investigations have revealed that the shops, which comprise five big retailers with a footprint in most southern African malls, have been operating without a permit since the Airport Mall opened last Friday.

When the Mmegi team visited the shopping mall yesterday, the shutters to the fully stocked shops were drawn while staff could be seen working inside.  Efforts to talk to one of the managers were futile as he ignored attempts to draw him outside.

The manager of the mall, Nazly Dawood declined to comment, saying only that individual tenants were responsible for sorting out their own licensing issues. She claimed that she did not know that the shops had been closed. Meanwhile further investigations have revealed that the Airport Junction Mall is operating on a temporary occupation permit and that the GCC's building control office has issued the permit on conditions that some defects are rectified in six months. Some of the defects include three fire hydrants that need to be rectified and the removal of all scaffolding in the parking area.

They have also been ordered to remove 'all skips in the parking area, provide arrows for traffic flow and provide visible signage in the public toilet,' reads a statement from the GCC to the Airport Junction Shopping Centre.The mall has also been ordered to install an additional tap to the women's ablutions.

Efforts to seek comment from GCC's public relations officer, Seeletso Lekgaba, drew a blank as she said she was yet to appraise herself on the matter. 'At the moment I need to identify the officer in charge of that department which closed the shops,' she said.