Durban — The Pietermaritzburg Brookside Mall that was destroyed by a fire during the July unrest in 2021 was reopened on Wednesday.
Msunduzi Municipality mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla said the memory of the mall burning was still fresh in his mind.
He said the total cost of the rebuilding went up to R130 million.
“The number of temporary and permanent jobs created is 300 while 200 employees were reinstated. From a public safety perspective, as the municipality we will play a co-ordinating role with the security cluster to ensure the safety and security of the public in addition to any security measures implemented. Nobody wants a repeat of what happened last year,” said Thebolla.
He expressed gratitude to developer Andrew Barnes and his team for the excellent work.
“The resilience and hard work displayed by Andrew Barnes and his team has been nothing short of excellence. We continue to applaud their continuous dedication and loyalty to the people of Pietermaritzburg despite catastrophic setbacks experienced in the past,” said Thebolla.
He said the burning of the mall was the most frustrating sight in the city alongside other incidents of similar nature. He added that they were grateful to witness the reopening of the mall.
Thebolla said he vividly remembered when they first came to lay the first brick towards rebuilding the mall. What looked like an impossible task to achieve had been accomplished.
Speaking to Daily News Barnes said the extension of the mall would happen in 2023 and would cost R100 million. He added that they received a lot of support from the community, political structures, municipality and relevant stakeholders.
“During the rebuilding of the mall we did not encounter any complications; everything went well and jobs were created,” he said.
Khetho Zuma, 35, was arrested last year for allegedly burning the mall. He is facing charges of incitement to commit public violence and incitement to commit arson. Zuma was denied bail and is remanded in custody.
Daily News