Raphael Wolf
LANGA, one of Cape Town’s oldest and poorest townships, is enjoying an economic boost with the opening of its own shopping mall – built to the tune of R60 million.
“Langa has until now been neglected,” said Jordan Mann, chief executive of Langa Junction developers Krisp Properties and Nu-Way Housing.
“This is the first opportunity the local community has had to have leading retailers on their doorstep.”
Mann said the centre, situated near a train station used by 45 000 commuters daily, was the biggest retail development in Langa.
Construction began in June last year when 150 jobs were created. The majority of sub-contractors were from the township, he said.
“It has been a great opportunity for us to bring employment to the area and give a space to entrepreneurs. We provided skills (training) to the local community for plastering, brickwork, scaffolding and ceiling installation.
“When bricklayers arrived on the site, they chose people from the community to work on the project,” said Mann.
Tenants include retail giants Shoprite and Pep stores, as well as small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Architect Boets Smuts said locals no longer need to leave the township to do shopping.
Langa joint committee chairman Alfred Magwaca said many jobless residents in Langa would benefit from opportunities the new shopping centre had created.
“Those who don’t have the required skills will benefit from the training provided for the jobs,” he said.
Steering committee deputy chairwoman Vuyiswa Ndzakana said: “Even from a construction level we made sure most subcontracting jobs went to Langa residents.”
Ndzakana said preference was given to Langa residents for the jobs at Shoprite, while 14 local entrepreneurs were first to be considered for occupation in the centre.
“Langa has a high unemployment and crime rate, which can be lessened through these employment opportunities,” she said.
The run-up to the opening of Langa Junction was not without controversy as Magwaca and Vusi Mandindi, chairman of the community organisation Sivukile Sonele in Langa, claimed some steering committee members had benefited unfairly from their association with the project.
“The community is for the mall, but we are told that 14 or 15 members of the project steering committee had obtained tenancy to the shopping centre, hence members of the community are dissatisfied with the way beneficiation of the project was handled,” Magwaca said. His organisation wanted to meet the developers to resolve the issue.
But Mann said the committee represented all stakeholders and had met fortnightly to discuss all the issues.
Brian Hayward, spokesman for the developers, said only three committee members had applied for tenancy and their applications were being considered. He said many people had applied for tenancy, but, for various reasons, withdrew from the process.