President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah hailed the new Goreangab Mall as a major investment for the country and a step towards reversing the legacy of exclusion and bringing opportunities closer to the people.
The president made the remarks when she officially opened the newly constructed mall.
Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah said for many years, those living in the informal settlement and Katutura were subjected to driving long routes and spending extra to access shopping centres and dignified services.
She noted that the shopping centre, constructed at a cost of three million dollars, does not only serve as a place to shop but also stimulates economic growth and creates new business opportunities that people on the outskirts of the city were denied.
"There was a time when development, investments and major commercial infrastructures were concentrated in the city centre and elsewhere, while areas such as Katutura carried the social and economic burden of apartheid planning. Therefore, the opening of this mall carries a significance far beyond the bricks and the mortar we are seeing. It represents another step of reversing the legacy of exclusion and bringing opportunities closer to the people. In many ways this development tells a powerful story. A community that was once created through forced removal is today attracting investment, creating jobs and shaping its own economic future. That is the story of resilience, progress, and transformation. I am informed that during the construction of the mall, more than 300 jobs were created. I am even more happy to understand now that the mall is operating and more than 400 jobs are being created."
The founder of Safland Property Group, Kallie van der Merwe, said it was his hope that the local community benefit from the mall through job opportunities, urging tenants to hire locally in their shops.
"We chose to invest in Goreangab because we believe that quality retail does not only belong in traditional commercial nodes. We should go where the people are. Communities grow around places that give people access, dignity, convenience and opportunity. Our hope is that Goreangab Mall becomes the anchor around which this community continues to develop. To our tenants, thank you for your loyalty to all the developments across Namibia. Together we continue to create places that support local economies, create employment, and serve communities with dignity."
Van der Merwe further encouraged investors and the public and private sectors to work together to bring development to the people in future projects that will boost Namibia's economy.