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Sikhangele Zhou

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
THE Bulawayo City Council appears to have lost control of the multi-million dollar Egodini Mall project, with officials clueless about why the contractor did not start at the beginning of this month, as previously announced.

South Africa’s Terracotta Trading Private Limited won the tender to construct the $60 million mall.

In March, the council’s Director of Engineering Services Engineer Simela Dube said by April 30, all commuter omnibus crews and vendors should have moved out of Egodini to pave way for the demolition of the site.

Eng Dube said the site was supposed to be handed over to the contractors at the beginning of May.

But acting town clerk Sikhangele Zhou yesterday said the council cannot be put to task regarding when the contractor will commence their work.

“We’re engaged in preliminary work stages. We’re waiting for the contractor to start. But we can’t leave Egodini without anything happening there. We’ve to be in sync with the contractor. As to when the contractor will start their work, you’ve to talk to the contractors,” sad Zhou.

Ward 1 Councillor Mlandu Ncube said although everything was in place, the council was still working on how to compensate some property owners whose properties are not owned by the local authority.

“The council is working on modalities on how to compensate some properties. I think there’re three properties that need to be compensated (names supplied). Everything is in place but I think those property owners are still trying to find new places where they can relocate to,” said Clr Ncube.

The Terracotta officials were set to establish an office in Bulawayo this month.

In an interview from his South Africa base, an official from Terracotta yesterday said the company will give The Chronicle a detailed interview regarding developments surrounding the project in due course.

The Egodini Mall project is the largest development project in Bulawayo since independence and is set to create over 1,000 jobs if it materialises.

However, there have been squabbles regarding the allocation the Egodini tender with politicians in the city saying it was unproceduraly awarded.

The Egodini Mall will be constructed under the build, own, operate and transfer scheme where Terracotta funds the construction and will surrender it to council after it recoups its investment.