06 Mar 2025

Progress has been made in development of the new mall under construction in Selebi Phikwe, Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs Mr Ketlhalefile Motshegwa has told Parliament.

He said Phase I of the project was completed and officially opened in October  last year. He said Selebi Phikwe Town Council had an ongoing concession agreement project with Nickelhead for construction of integrated development at Plot 19252.

Proprietors of the mall are Mr Masego Shabani and Mark Clinton Alexander each holding 50 per cent. The development, he said, included a bus rank, taxi rank, market stalls/kiosks, an amphitheatre and a shopping centre.

He said Phase I of the project covered the bus and taxi rank, terminal building, filling station, quick shop, restaurant outlet and market stalls while Phase II of the development, which comprised a commercial mall was expected to commence in April 2025. He said 98 people were employed during construction of Phase I of the project while 97 people were currently employed in the completed facilities.

Mr Motshegwa said Phase II of the project was expected to create 350 jobs during construction and 750 jobs during its operation.

He said the land between Sam Sono Stadium and Botshabelo was zoned for industrial use as per the Selebi Phikwe Development Plan, as such he said the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture confirmed that the land had not been subdivided into individual plots, which was the first stage before surveying, servicing and ultimately allocation.

However, he said there were currently 74 cottage industrial plots within Selebi Phikwe under SPEDU which had been reserved since 2011 of which only 24 had been allocated. Additionally, he said out of 28 large scale industrial plots only 18 had been allocated and that due to low uptate of industrial plots, there was currently no demand to release additional plots.

Member of Parliament for Selebi Phikwe East, Mr Kgoberego Nkawana wanted to know progress made in the development of the new mall under construction in Selebi Phikwe, proprietors of the mall, the share structure, and the number of new jobs expected to be created.

Mr Mkawana also wanted to know if the minister had any intentions of allocating business plots on the land that lied idle between Botshabelo and the Sam Sono Stadium. ENDS