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Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
A $14 MILLION mega shopping mall is under construction in Gweru funded by the Zimbabwe Electricity Industry Pension Fund (ZEIPF).

The new shopping mall — dubbed Gweru Megawatt Shopping Complex — is located just outside the Central Business District along Bulawayo Road.

ZEIPF acting general manager Noel Jakaza told Chronicle Business that the company has engaged Drawcard Enterprises as the principal contractor to oversee the project — one of the biggest investments in the town.

The project, now at half-way point, is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2017.

“ZEIPF is the sponsor for the development of the Gweru Megawatt Complex. When complete the facility will be a mixed use commercial development of office and shopping spaces,” he said.

“The principal contract was awarded to Drawcard Enterprises and the project has a contract period of 16 months, with completion expected by the first quarter of 2017.”

The project has not only created job opportunities but is viewed as an endorsement of the investment confidence in the city.

Jakaza said the project consists of a three storey office block, two storey shopping mall, line shops, service station and internal parking for the facility. It has a combined total business space of 7, 278 square metres.

The ZEIPF boss said the anchor tenant for the office block would be the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC).

“The office will be the hub of the ZETDC administration services  and will also provide a banking hall for customers. The pension fund is still negotiating with a possible anchor tenant for the utilisation of the supermarket.

“The infrastructure also provides a wide range of line shops, food court and restaurant to ensure the facility becomes a one-stop complex providing all the critical services. To this regard, the facility will also have a service station for the convenience of motorists,” explained Jakaza.

The complex would be completed with secure self-contained parking and lighting for the office block and the supermarket with an access road to the service station.

ZEIPF was established in 2004 with the mandate to ensure that the pension contributions of Zesa employees are securely invested in various investments that will support pensioners when they retire.

The entity has invested in various successful construction projects from warehouses, office blocks and supermarkets around the country.

These include Megawatt Shopping Mall in Bulawayo’s Parklands suburb and Arlington Warehouse Distribution Centre in Harare located along Chitungwiza Road which is being leased by Vital Logistics.