Bookside Mall, one of the severely affected shopping centres during the 2021 July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, has finally reopened.
BOOKSIDE MALL LOOKING BRAND NEW AFTER JULY UNREST
Bookside Mall, situated in Pietermaritzburg, attained ever-lasting fame after its destroyed structure went viral on local and international news due to the fire.
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The chaotic scenes that played out during the unrest which stemmed from former President Jacob Zuma’s arrest, saw not only the looting of Brookside Mall but the torching of the building as well.
The reconstruction of the mall began late last year but its inevitable closure hurt the pockets of locals who then had to travel to the CBD to complete their shopping needs.
MSUNDUZI MAYOR ATTENDS THE REOPENING OF THE MALL
The ceremonious reopening of the mall took place today, Wednesday, 21 September. Among the attendees was Msunduzi Municipality Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, who delivered the keynote address.
“The video that went viral on social media of the Brookside Mall gutted by fire still remains fresh in our memories. It was the most devastating sight in our city alongside many other incidents of similar nature in our city,” said Thebolla.
He went on to praise the owners of the centre for reinvesting into the city despite the regrettable unrest.
“The resilience and hard work displayed by Mr 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.”
Thobella
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MAYOR LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CREATION OF JOBS
The mayor was also moved by the reopening as it would create job opportunities.
“The local economic development impact and job opportunities to be generated by this reopening will go a long way mitigating the negative impact of the local economic data caused by Covid-19 such as job losses, business fraught etc,” he said.
Last month also saw the reopening of Edendale Mall in the City of Choice which was also casualty of the unrest last year.
According to an IOL report, the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business (PMCB) called for the local community to protect the malls.