"The municipality is confident that the process that led to the allocation of the said land is above board and will further focus on ensuring that the Project Steering Committee (PSC) is functional and that there are no interruptions during the construction of the mall," municipal spokesman David Magae said.

"Council believes that the time is right and that there is goodwill in the city, to grow the economy and change the face of the city of Rustenburg, making the dreams and aspirations of its people attainable," he said.

Pogiso Bothomane, a Forum 4 Service Delivery councillor in the municipality, has objected to the process, alleging a corrupt relationship between the municipality and Kylipac, the company that was awarded the tender.

"Council resolutions taken in its meeting on 25 September 2019 contravene every municipal law on competitive bidding," he said.

The council resolved at the meeting to allocate an additional 12 hectares of land toward the Rustenburg shopping mall project.

Before the meeting, Bothomane had objected that the process lacked fair, transparent, competitive and lawful supply chain management considerations.

"According to the terms of notice 108/2013, there must be collaboration between the municipality and any developer. I read none in the agreement, in this case, Kylipac (Pty) Ltd is doing the development on its own..."

The municipality said the mall development project was one of the biggest property investments currently underway in the city and was set to create a total of over 2,500 jobs for the community of Rustenburg and surrounding areas.

"The coming into being of this retail facility in this strategic location coupled with this major land boost, will result in household budget savings, savings in travel time, and generation of local jobs within the retail sector. 

This additional land will ensure that development is not limited to retail, as it could include mixed housing etc. and thereby serving the market in a more effective and consolidated manner. This could add immense value to the region and serve as an economic enabler for further investment in Rustenburg," Magae said in a statement.

The first phase of the Rustenburg Mall is expected to be completed by April 2021. The mall is near the main taxi rank. 

African News Agency (ANA)