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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent
CHITUNGWIZA residents will have a new shopping mall following the decision by National Social Security Authority (NSSA) to build a US$3 million mall at Makoni Shopping Centre, with construction having taken off.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of The Makoni Shopping Mall, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima said the construction of the shopping mall was a testament of collective commitment to bringing convenience to neighbourhoods in the country.
The dedication and commitment to improve the shopping experience of communities is borne out of the Government’s recurring theme to continuously invest in the country’s infrastructure as the country moves towards attaining the national vision of becoming an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Prof Mavima said the ground breaking ceremony signified the first step towards the construction of a signature property development facility for use by the people of Makoni and the surrounding areas.
“This development also signifies NSSA’s quest to become a dominant player in the property development sector, commensurate with the authority’s position as a leading mobiliser of national savings through its schemes,” he said.
“Today’s event also demonstrates NSSA’s commitment to work with the Government in developing infrastructure that enables economic development in our country. It marks another milestone in their quest to make a difference in our communities.
“My ministry acknowledges that projects of this nature and magnitude call for concerted effort and commitment by the parties involved. It is no stroll in the park and for that I applaud NSSA, OK Zimbabwe and Kamau Partners for their smart partnership.”
Prof Mavima said they hoped that property development will bring bountiful opportunities to stakeholders through economic growth, job creation, service delivery as well as empowered communities and neighbourhoods.
“The transformation of NSSA that we have witnessed since 2020 is set not only to continue, but to spread far beyond what any of us once thought would be possible. To complement the efforts of NSSA, my ministry will continue to support them in creating a climate of good will, tolerance and common respect for advancing the interest of our most important stakeholders, who include pensioners, the disadvantaged and its members.
“NSSA’s commitment to meeting the needs of our pensioners and other stakeholders is not just a theme of this year alone, but it reaffirms the authority’s core ethos – an ethos that underpins all the activities that the entity has been doing and continues to do.”
He said the documented success of NSSA’s initiatives towards the welfare of pensioners speak volumes about the culture of hard work and service excellence that is slowly becoming entrenched in the minds of the workforce.
“As a Ministry we will continue to nudge NSSA to find within itself the spirit and sense of purpose that will promote and transform the standard of living for pensioners and their dependants. The authority’s commitment to this noble cause is clearly evidenced by efforts to ensure that property investments such as this shopping mall are delivered, even as the world is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is our considered view that NSSA must always take a leading role in investing in high impact strategic property investments that are destined to promote the interest of pensioners while at the same creating jobs in the communities that they work.”
Prof Mavima said their role as Government was to provide a conducive environment in which both public and private players were given a level playing field to bring out the best in themselves.
Engineer Martin Manhuwa, vice chairman of The Makoni Mall, said as an institutional investor, NSSA believes in carrying out property developments through the lens of equality, one that is blind to region or province, ability or disability, gender, ethnicity, age, background or creed.
“We believe it is our responsibility to promote property developments to all stakeholders in every corner of our country,” he said.
“We will continue to double our efforts with a view to empower the vulnerable members of society, particularly the elderly. Shopping centre facilities will be established close to the elderly to bring convenience to their doorstep.
“NSSA believes that in today’s world of drastic whirling change, customers are continually seeking new experiences and such situations in turn demand new ideas and new modes of action. We are dedicated to developing new patterns of service to customers.”
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