By Correspondent
In 2013 Sunshine Holdings, an investment arm of the City Council, commenced construction of a $3 million shopping mall in Mbare.
The construction project was a joint venture between a Lebanese group, El-Nour United Engineering and Harare City Council.
It was a massive investment that covered 45 000 square meters along Simon Mazorodze.
According to officials the new bazaar was targeting consumers from the lower end market of the city’s western suburbs.
However, most importantly it was envisaged that Gulf Sunshine Bazaar would decongest the Central Business District.
Investment Implosion
11 years later that idea has failed to materialise.
The bazaar has barely made a dent to the heaving closet that is Harare CBD.
Containing a massive 500 small shops it remains an afterthought to all those eager to invest and run small shops, usually selling groceries.
The CBD remains prime land.
The complex was also meant to decongest the CBD and provide business space for the majority of small scale traders who have been operating along pavements in the CBD.
Again, that hasn’t happened.
The streets of the CBD remains as littered with vendors as they were before.
None of them is willing to forsake the prime market land of the CBD for some backwater channel frequented by few.
Rental charges have also been issue with potential customers.
The Harare Council Business Committee has previously urged the Town Clerk to have them reviewed.
“The committee further tasked the acting town clerk to engage the stakeholders on the need to review downwards the rentals for the shops,” a letter seen by Open Council shows.
Elnour United already owned Gulf Complex and it’s clear what they hoped to achieve with another such complex.
However, unlike Gulf which is stamped right in the middle of the frenetic bustle of the CBD, the Bazaar is on the fringes of activity.
The results have been lukewarm and, again, failed to transform the fortunes of Sunshine Holdings.
The Council entity has remained mired in loss-making with Government repeatedly pushing for amendments or even closure.
Again, there have been allegations the opposition is taking advantage of its majority in council to milk the company.
