GWERU City Council (GCC) has lost a US$3 million shopping mall after councillors refused to endorse the project.
Speaking last week at the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund launch, Bentach Resources managing director David Kudakwashe said the company’s business associates had raised money to construct the mall, but council refused to endorse the project.
“We managed to raise US$3 million from our network of 10 businesspeople whom we told there was an investment opportunity in Gweru to build a shopping mall that was going to be a legacy for the city and a national pride,” Kudakwashe said.
“However, that investment (shopping mall) that was supposed to be in Gweru will now be in Kwekwe.”
He said Kwekwe City Council agreed to the deal which has the potential to employ more than 200 people.
Recent Gweru City Council minutes reveal that Bentach had expressed interest to partner the local authority in a shopping mall project next to Kudzanai bus terminus.
But in an ordinary council meeting that was held after the proposal, councillors “unanimously rejected the request to partner Bentach Resources to build a smart city mall.”
Bentach renovated Kudzanai bus terminus during the COVID-19 lockdown period at a cost of US$1,5 million before entering into a 15-year lease agreement on the project with the local authority.
- Vungu RDC, River Valley property partner on road and drainage system
- Gweru businesswoman scoops top award
- Vungu RDC, River Valley property partner on road and drainage system
- Gweru businesswoman scoops top award
Keep Reading
During a recent budget review meeting, council revealed that between August 2021 and April 2022, Bentach remitted $9 869 323, 46.
Beginning May 2022, Bentach shifted from charging the informal traders at the bus terminus in local currency to US dollars, and council's share was also remitted in US dollars. The cumulative remittances between May and July 2022 were US$20 078.
Meanwhile, Gweru residents want council to adopt a down-top approach in the ongoing budget consultations to ensure key issues affecting ratepayers are captured.
Addressing a Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) budget consultative stakeholders meeting yesterday, former executive mayor Sesel Zvidzai said a down-top approach allowed for proper identification of residents’ priorities in budgetary processes.
“We should adopt a down-top approach so that we get people’s sentiments first.
“After that we take the people’s sentiments to technocrats at the local authority so that they can then quantify them,” Zvidzai said.
GRRA director Cornelia Selipiwe added that consulting people first would ensure ownership of the budget.
“Residents would air their budget priorities first and then it’s taken up for discussion to the top at council level,” Selipiwe said.
“Year-in and year-out we have people rejecting the budget on the basis that the consultations are rather cosmetic and there is need for new strategies to get a buy-in from residents.”
Speaking at the meeting, ward 8 councillor Notal Dzika said a down-top approach was “not feasible”.
"As council, we propose a budget and then people are consulted to get their input before the budget goes for approval,” he said.
There are ongoing budget consultations in wards in the city after council first engaged various thematic sectors.
- Follow us on Twitter @NewsDayZimbabwe
