Communities feud Motsiya Mall Mandela Day donation
Kgobokwane
Community members from various villages in Moutse, are calling for a total shutdown of Moutsiya Mall in Kgobokwane Village outside Groblersdal, following a controversial Nelson Mandela Day donation.
Residents accuse Moutsiya Mall management and ANA Properties of taking a Mandela Day donation to Lebowakgomo in the Lepelle Nkumpi Local Municipality and those who contribute in the shopping mall are sidelined in donations.
Moutsiya Mall has been supported by residents of both Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in Limpopo and Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality in Mpumalanga from villages such as Kgobokwane, Waalkraal, Siyabuswa, Moteti and Kgaphamadi.
Moutsiya Mall has recently posted on their facebook page a generous donation of a library made on Mandela Day at Eureka Primary School in Lebowakgomo.
Locals say they are angry that they support Moutsiya Mall while the donation was made in Lebowakgomo, about 100kms away from Moutse. They say the Lebowakgomo donation should have been made by nearest shopping malls such as Mall@Lebo, which is situated a few kms away from Eureka Primary School.
Community leader and EFF member in Moutse, Ali Maloba, described the controversial donation as a direct insult to communities of Moutse and Dr JS Moroka, saying they are not happy that the mall management opted to take a donation 100kms away from the people who contribute to their annual turnover.
“The business survival depends on communities of Elias Motsoaledi and Dr JS Moroka not on residents of Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality where the donation was made,” he said.
Maloba said communities of the two municipalities will be up in arms and take action against Moutsiya Mall and ANA Properties.
EFF Secretary in the Nkangala Region, Jackson Malatji, said they have sent a letter to centre management, raising a serious concern regarding the Mandela Day dubious donation.
“If management fails to respond to us, we are going to apply for a Section 205 with the police and mobilize for a total shutdown of the establishment until they come on board,” he said.
Malatji said EFF has mandated ANA Properties to build two libraries, one in Elias Motsoaledi and the other in Dr JS Moroka municipality.
Thato Mokwena, Site Supervisor at Moutsiya Mall, said the donation was a programme of Mall@Lebo and not Moutsiya Mall.
“The inconvenience started when ANA Properties marketing manager posting Mall@Lebo Mandela Day programme on the Moutsiya Mall facebook page. I can confirm that Moutsiya Mall did not donate a library in Lebowakgomo. We are currently busy rectifying the mistake with the complaining communities,” he said.
