The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
SOUTH African based developer, Terracotta will this week start preparations for the laying of asphalt to the sides of Egodini Bus Terminus as they work towards the completion of Phase 1A of the rehabilitation project which is scheduled to be handed over to the local authority by November.
The project has been subject to a number of false starts but work started in earnest last year after the site was handed over to the developer in 2019 following the awarding of a development permit. Phase 1A of the project includes construction of informal traders’ stalls, a 100-bay taxi rank, security wall, security tower, motor retail, taxi associations offices, public ablutions and a service lane. Phase 1B will then include the construction of the bus terminus building, fast-food shops and the grocery anchor. Phase 2 will be the construction of the shopping mall.
In an interview from his South African base, one of the Terracotta directors, Mr Otis Tshabalala said they were streaming ahead and were confident that there would meet the November deadline to handover phase 1A of the project.
“Everything is moving as per planned; we are now putting final touches to the vending stalls and the taxi ranks, the columns, rafters and purlins have been installed and the roofing sheets have been delivered on site and they will also be going up in the coming few days. In the next two weeks we will be moving to kerbing, paving and asphalt, all the procurements have been made and it’s all systems go, come November we will surely be handing over Phase 1A of this project,” said Mr Tshabalala.
He said they will soon start working on the allocation of vending bays, in conjunction with the Bulawayo City Council, where they will give priority to those that had been operating at Egodini before its closure.
“We are fully aware of the congestion in the city centre with the closure of Egodini, which is why we agreed to take a phased approach to the project where we are getting sections handed over as per priority and we are working with BCC on this aspect. By November we are bringing back the vendors and the taxis, straight after that we move to Phase 1B which will be the construction of the bus rank and other amenities but what’s important is we are now bringing traffic into the rank which will make the next phases to just easily fall into place,” said Mr Tshabalala.
In an interview, city’s Mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni said they were satisfied with progress to date. He said the handing over of Phase 1A would bring a solution to the traffic congestion problem they were facing at Herbert Chitepo Street and 6th Avenue up to Lobengula Street.
Councillor Solomon Mguni
“We think that the problem of vendors who have invaded public roads and undesignated sites and causing unprecedented littering will be eased by relocation of some of them to Egodini. We want to assure concerned residents and stakeholders that the main Mall will still be built. There are no changes in designs and plans as being reported in some sections of the media. As a city we will honour our side of the contractual obligations. We expect the investor to do the same,” said Clr Mguni.
