Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
THE private sector is taking heed of the government’s call to modernise infrastructure with the construction of the much-awaited US$20 million Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) shopping mall now underway.
A visit to the site revealed that the groundwork is now in motion with ZAS Chief Executive Officer Dr Andrew Matibiri highlighting the importance of the project in the government’s modernisation roadmap.
“We are here at the site of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society shopping mall, which has been in offing for a long time, in fact, there was a ceremony for the plaque by His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2018, following the adverse effects of the COVID – 19 that stalled the project, we have now found a developer to work on the site after the 2023 Agriculture show and they have started all the preliminary groundwork ahead of full-scale construction activities, it is our hope that the shopping mall will be opened by August next year by the time we hold the next yearly agricultural show, ” he said.
Dr Matibiri described the shopping mall as a commitment to facilitating overall socio-economic development.
“This development tallies with the modernisation of the economy agenda and as they say Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo this is a real testimony to that, the project has already created employment opportunities thereby cementing Governments aspiration of the vision 2030.”
Property experts are also convinced the construction of the shopping mall feeds into increased activities in Zimbabwe’s commercial real estate sector.
