Durban — In about three months Bridge City Shopping Centre in KwaMashu will be re-opening and joining other establishments that have become operational following the July 2021 unrest that engulfed parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The KwaMashu Business Chamber welcomed the anticipated opening.
“As the KwaMashu Business Chamber, we are pleased about the re-opening of the Bridge City Mall. The damage to the infrastructure caused major inconvenience to the people of INK (Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu) and resulted in job losses.
“We would like to encourage asset owners and businesses operating in shopping malls and townships in general, to be more present in community development initiatives in order to forge a closer working partnership. As a chamber, we will continue to work and to promote township investment, working with all stakeholders,” said chairperson Sthe Mabanga.
Four months ago, the Pietermaritzburg Brookside Mall which was destroyed by a fire during the unrest was reopened.
In Durban, in the same month that the Brookside Mall re-opened, 70% of the Springfield Value Centre also reopened, with the remainder ready to welcome shoppers ahead of the festive season.
In December 2021, Makro Springfield welcomed thousands of shoppers at its grand re-opening.
The megastore’s property and goods were damaged, including the theft of solar panels in the parking area.
In a written reply to the Daily News, Bridge City’s marketing team said the centre was still incomplete and is under construction, the reopening of the centre is expected in April 2023.
Some establishments in its precinct were already operational.
“Super Spar at Bridge City Shopping Centre reopened in June 2022. Other retail establishments in the precinct are not managed by Capital Land – we are therefore unable to provide comment on these.
“The majority of the shops are expected to open in April 2023. With the re-opening, 100 shops are confirmed to open in April 2023,” it said.
Four months after the civil unrest, the South African Special Risks Insurance Association estimated damage in July’s looting and mayhem, the most expensive riots in the world, would cost more than R50 billion.
Daily News