Suburban
NEW owners have taken over Cunningham shopping centre popularly known as PaGomba in Greendale and have pumped in US$500 000 to renovate the shopping centre to attract new businesses and service providers.
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
The new investors also plan to rename the shopping centre which will become known as Greendale Shopping Centre.
Young Blood Investments Private Limited has taken over Cunningham shopping centre and the owners say the place is expected to come alive following renovations that are currently taking place which will see several shops including a leading supermarket chain moving in and a variety of services being offered.
The shopping centre had remained largely unused for many years with only a service station and a gym among the few shops which were operational.
Residents living in the vicinity of the shopping centre including those from areas such as Coronation Avenue were having to go to either Kamfinsa or Chisipite shopping centres for their shopping.
Ward 9 Councillor and acting Harare Mayor Musarurwa Mutizwa said a local businessman — who is the proprietor of Young Blood Investments Pvt Ltd — and his son are carrying out the renovations to make the shopping centre a modern shopping complex.
When Suburban visited the shopping centre this week, builders, welders and plumbers were busy working on the side of the complex facing Cunningham Road which will house smaller shops such as pharmacies and other such service providers.
The side of the complex facing Coronation Avenue is earmarked to house the anchor tenant expected to be one of the leading supermarket chains in Zimbabwe.
Work is also underway on this side of the complex to remake it.
Mr Mahomed Jassat told Suburban that the shopping complex will be called Greendale Shopping Centre.
He said PaGomba was now a rundown shopping centre.
“So we have now taken it over and we have invested about US$500 000 (into the facelift).
“It is going to be a fully-fledged shopping centre.
“It is owned by a company owned by myself and my son called Young Blood Investments Pvt Ltd,” said Mr Jassat.
He said one of the big three local supermarket chains is moving in.
“So we have a chemist, Pizza Inn, there is a butchery, hardware, paint ware and a variety of other shops moving in,” said Mr Jassat.
He said the renovations started eight months ago and progressing well.
Mr Jassat said the first tenant is expected to move in on the first of next month.
“So we are busy finalising.
“We are giving tenants the month of May and probably June to put their signage and items.
“We have an opening date. It’s either the June 1, or at the very latest July 1,” he revealed.
In 2020, residents of Ward 9 in Greendale and Mandara expressed concern over idle shopping centres meant to serve the community but have buildings that have been left unused for years.
One of the shopping centres cited by residents was Cunningham commonly known as PaGomba in Greendale that had remained unused for years, leaving residents of Coronation Avenue and surrounding areas to go to Kamfinsa shops for their groceries and other shopping.
Then Councillor Mutizwa explained that the shopping centres were not functioning because their owners had left them to be idle.
“The two shopping centres are not functional as a result of the owners of the two properties.
“Mandara (shopping centre) is owned by an Indian guy, who after his first lease (of the property) almost cost him ownership of the complex.
“So he has stopped leasing it out. He wanted to use it himself and has done some renovations and had to stop midway because he did not have resources to complete,” said Cllr Mutizwa in 2020.
He said the former owner of Cunningham shopping centre was not living in the country.
“The Cunningham shops commonly known as PaGomba is owned by a British national who is out of the country at the moment. He left it under the stewardship of a lawyer. Unfortunately, the law does not punish private players for keeping their land unused.”
Another affected shopping centre residents cited in 2020 was Mandara shopping centre which has not been used for more than two decades.
Residents who spoke to Suburban confirmed that buildings at Mandara shops had become white elephants for more than 20 years while they have nowhere to shop in the suburb.
“Residents of this suburb have nowhere to shop and have to board kombis to go to Kamfinsa yet this area has a shopping centre,” said a Mandara resident.
Informed sources said the shopping centre is owned by a business person who is also a resident of that suburb.
“The (business person) does not have intentions of having the shops functional and benefiting this community. There is a block of 11 shops, five small and six big ones. A borehole was drilled by council but the concerned business person does not want anyone there. If he doesn’t want any shops to be operating there, why can’t that space be developed into flats, for example?
“We are also appealing that there be a new law that deals with buildings to do with the public so that they serve the public and not individual interests,” said another resident.
