Construction of $6,5 million Chipinge shopping mall commences

The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Senator Prisca Mupfumira, officially launched the construction of the $6,5 million National Social Security Authority shopping mall in Chipinge at a ground-breaking ceremony on Wednesday (March 4).

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony at the mall construction site, Senator Mupfumira said the shopping mall was intended to meet the business needs of the Chipinge community. She said it was expected to lead to an increase in infrastructure development as well as job creation.

"The National Social Security Authority collects contributions countrywide, including from workers and employers in Chipinge.  It is the surplus from these contributions that is invested and NSSA has a policy of spreading investments to all corners of the country," she said.

She added that she has been assured that local labour will be given priority during construction. Construction of the centre should, she said, create jobs for people in Chipinge, even after construction has been completed, since the new shops that will open at the centre would create employment opportunities for people in and around the area.  

Senator Mupfumira pointed out that NSSA's involvement in capital development projects had already seen the construction of shopping malls and commercial centres in areas that include Gwanda and Bindura, as well as a hotel in Beitbridge.

She said the Chipinge shopping mall is one of the infrastructure development projects that NSSA is embarking on during the 2015 to 2018 lifespan of the current Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset).

"The National Social Security Authority falls under the Social Services and Poverty Eradication Cluster and infrastructure and housing development make up part of the contribution to ZimAsset by this organisation," she said.

Senator Mupfumira said that, following a feasibility study carried out by Dawn Properties, formerly CB Richard Ellis,  it was expected that space at the mall would be taken up by offices, a major supermarket, a hardware shop, doctors' surgeries, two banks, hair salons and food outlets, as well as some other shops.

Construction of the double storey shopping mall is expected to be completed after 15 months, she added.

She pointed out that the construction of the mall is an investment meant to generate returns. Therefore whoever wanted to take up space at the mall should know that NSSA will expect rentals to be paid.  

"This is a business and therefore should be respected as a business," she said.

NSSA general manager James Matiza revealed that the proposed development date for the Chipinge Shopping Mall had originally been 2005 but said a decade of hyperinflation had affected the development timetables set for capital projects.

He added that, after the introduction of multiple currencies in 2009, some local authorities had repossessed land that had been identified for development and paid for by NSSA. He commended Chipinge Town Council for not repossessing the land which NSSA is now constructing the mall on.

"Chipinge Town Council was patient for 10 years, that is from 2005 to date.  Patience pays. The Chipinge community definitely waited patiently and today we celebrate commencement of the construction of a shopping mall," he said.

Among those who attended the ground breaking ceremony were the Minister of State for Manicaland Province, Makoni South Member of Parliament Mandi Chimene, Chipinge Central Member of Parliament Raymore Machingura, Chipinge East Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Win  Mlambo, service chiefs and members of the Zanu-PF Central Committee.

They all commended NSSA for its contribution to infrastructure development in Chipinge and urged the authority to continue supporting infrastructure development in small towns.