By Bahle Gama | 2020-06-25

The construction of a multi-million shopping centre is underway at Hluthi in the Shiselweni Region and is expected to create job opportunities for hundreds of Emaswati.

The shopping centre will be named Usizo Plaza and the proprietors are JM Management Consulting Services. The construction of the plaza is now about 65 per cent and will tentatively be completed by September 2020.

This was confirmed by JM Management General Manager Martin Nxumalo who said they were happy with the amount of work done despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The centre is part of an extension of an existing mini complex, and is now “fully let” with diverse national and local tenants anchored by the Shoprite U-Save and Pep Stores brands respectively,” he said. He said other stores would include hardware, mini-wholesale, clothing boutique, furniture and car spares shops, fast-food outlet, a pharmacy and fully upgraded Tangerina Galp Services and Filling Station.

He said there would also be an ATM Lobby available.

“This will be a “drive-in” centre (not to be confused with drive-thru) with over 100 parking bays making it a destination shopping stop gap to service the catchment area between Nhlangano and Lavumisa.

“Needless to say, this has been the fruit of hard work and due diligence especially the 18 months before construction commenced and has been a significant investment from our part.

Of course, we are not doing it for ourselves but for the Hluthi community and neighbouring areas,” he said Nxumalo added that since construction started there has been further interest from more brands/stores to open outlets on the property.

He said as a result, they were now finalising plans to initiate Phase 2 of the construction.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Shiselweni Business Community Justice Nxumalo said everyone in Eswatini had been given a mandate by Their Majesties and it was therefore important to be exemplary in seeing it to fruition.

He said the project was their contribution to the revival of the country’s economy. “Besides obviously bringing goods and services closer to our rural communities, this will benefit the community.

This project is a complete mindset change that provides ideals to strive for, as it shows but a glimmer of what First World is. It also sets a benchmark on how one can maximise whatever piece of land they have and bring up its value thus creating wealth, not for just the individual but the community as well,” he said.

He further stated that wealth breeds wealth, making an example that 25 years ago no one would have believed that the Ezulwini business corridor would be what it is today.

“So in conclusion, I don’t consider the shopping plaza as my project, but it belongs to the Emaswati, and it is but a template/demonstration that with the will, determination, wisdom and most importantly hard work, one can sow just one field and feed the whole nation.

We envisage that Hluthi is the town of the future,” he said.

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