GOVT STOPS ROUX’S E500 MILLION MALL

MANZINI – Stopped!  The Times SUNDAY can reveal that government stopped a E500 million mall project, which was to be undertaken at the old Trade Fair in Manzini.

Reasons for the project cancellation are known, but will not be revealed because of their sensitivity.
However, it must be said that credibility issues on the part of one of the pioneers of the project came to the fore when government took the decision to cancel the project.

Worth noting is that government cancelled the deal after the developer of the project, Roux Property Development Africa, had entered into an agreement with the Municipal Council of Manzini on the construction of the shopping complex.

Roux Development Africa is owned by Eswatini-born South African businessman Roux Shabangu.
It has been established that there were other associated parties involved in the project. The facility that was to be set up there was to be known as the ‘Regional Complex’.

The Eswatini Environment Authority had already issued an environmental impact assessment report for the development, which was to comprise of three main levels: a basement consisting of vehicle parking; a ground level consisting of shops, restaurants, entertainment centres.
It was also to consist of banks, motor showroom, market area, vehicle parking, taxi rank and bus rank; an upper level comprising of a cinema with up to four theatres, a six-floor hotel, a three-floor residential apartment block and a three-floor office block.

Consultants stated in environmental assessment papers that the purpose of the project was to improve the socio-economic use of the existing land on which the development was proposed, to complement other recent developments within the city while promoting Manzini as a tourism destination.
Just before the Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini administration’s term of office expired last year, this newspaper learnt that it instructed the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to cancel the project through the Municipal Council of Manzini.

Shabangu, in an interview with this newspaper on Friday, confirmed that he received a letter from government cancelling the project.

No reasons given - Roux

He pointed out that reasons for the cancellation were not given to him. Shabangu, whose other projects in Mbabane and Dvokolwako Diamond Mine also fell through, said he was very disappointed with the government of Eswatini.
In 2011, Roux Property Development Africa was expected to get three pieces of land housing the Municipal Council’s offices, the Central Bank of Eswatini, Mbabane Public Market and Linear Park. He was to build a shopping mall there.

Regarding the present scenario, Shabangu said he derived some positives from the project cancellation, and saw it as a blessing in disguise as it was possible certain elements within government would have forcefully taken his state-of-the-art mall upon completion (bebatangimuka).
He wondered if there was any rule of law in Eswatini.

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