On Thursday, 24 March 2016, on the eve of this year’s annual Easter Weekend, Free State Premier Honourable Ace Magashule led the official opening of Boitumelo Junction Shopping Mall in Thabong, Welkom, in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality.
The Boitumelo Junction Mall is a spectacular 25 000 square meters shopping establishment, developed at a tune of around R250 million, and created more than 250 jobs during its construction. The store is anticipated to create a further 300 employment opportunities through retail, cleaning and venue management services.
The upmarket Mall is excessively convenient for various shoppers and boasts, amongst others, major retailers such as Shoprite, Boxer, Truworths, Foschini, Clicks, and Edgars. Major Banks, including Capitec African Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank also offer services in the Mall. The Mall also boasts various restaurants, including Romans Pizza and a KFC Drive Through, the first for Welkom.
“Our townships need to have proper shopping facilities, proper roads, electricity, water and sanitation, quality schools and clinics, affordable public transport and all the basic services that are taken for granted in historically white areas. We will not rest until that happens,” President Jacob Zuma.
The President made these remarks on 24 May 2009, during the opening of the Pan African Shopping Centre in Alexandra Township. With the opening of Thabong Mall today, and other shopping centres in many of our townships in the province, the Free State provincial government is implementing the directive of the President when he said “our townships must have proper shopping facilities”.
Just as the President said in 2009, Free State government will not rest until all our townships are transformed and integrated into the mainstream economy and urban society.
Townships were established under the Apartheid regime as areas designated for exclusive occupation by Black Africans, Indians and Coloureds. The Land Act of 1913 ensured that different racial groups in South Africa lived separately.
While the process of dispossession of Africans in particular and Blacks in general began in 1652, with the arrival of Jan van Riebeck, the actual land dispossession and economic deprivation was made worse when townships were established.
A study by the World Bank Group that examined the unique challenges of South African townships with particular focus on Diepsloot suggests that, in order for townships to be developed, interventions by national, provincial and local spheres must be coordinated with the goal to create jobs and improve service delivery.
Like many townships in our country, Thabong is confronted with challenges of joblessness, especially among youth. Crime and gangsterism are also features of our townships, including Thabong. Added to issues of poor and dilapidated infrastructure, these challenges requires that government, the private sector and civil society to work together to improve the conditions of our people.
“On behalf of the Free State provincial government, I hereby wish to pronounce our appreciation for the opening of Boitumelo Junction Mall today. We regard the opening of this Shopping Mall as a historic moment in the history in the upliftment of our townships” – Premier Ace Magashule said.
“We thank Mr Mike Nkuna of the Masingita Group of Companies for investing more than R250 million to build this 25 000 square metres Mall which boasts many black-owned stores, and creates 550 employment opportunities for the people of Thabong in particular”, the Premier continued.
Enquiries:
Tiisetso Makhele
Spokesperson to the Premier
Cell: 076 833 0033
Email: tiisetso.makhele@fspremier.gov.za
Pulane Tsupane
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 071 3022 595 or 073 195 6558
Email: pulane.tsupane@fspremier.gov.za
