Harare's Copacabana terminus to be demolished

Harare City Council says it will next month demolish Copacabana commuter omnibus rank and build a state-of-the-art $20 million shopping mall that would accommodate banks and some of the displaced minibuses.

Council's business development committee chairperson Herbert Gomba confirmed the development yesterday, saying the move would be in line with council's 2025 vision to build a world-class city.

He said the project would give the city a fresh look and enable council to monitor commuter omnibuses operating at the site.

Copacabana will be demolished to build a shopping mall and a three-floor parkade. It's a $20-million investment between Harare and Costham Investments, a Chinese company.

It will be something modern, a new complex, Gomba said. Harare is pushing towards a world-class capital by 2025, but the ambitious plan has been hampered by poor administration and corruption among council executives in charge of the project.

Gomba said council was working towards plugging holes to ensure money was channelled towards real development.

He lamented corruption and vandalism especially at Mbare Musika Market where council lost equipment worth $400 000 through vandalism.