oThongathi Mall opens 10 years after fatal construction collapse

It has taken close to 10 years for the community of Tongaat to have their oThongathi Mall opened.

In November 2013, the mall was thrust into the spotlight when a structural collapse led to the death of two people and injured more than 29 during construction.

Centre manager Dylan Niemann said construction of the 17,300m² mall was a mammoth task as they had to demolish the old building and overhaul the structure.

Construction has taken more than four years because of the problems which plagued the province, including the Covid-19 pandemic, July 2021 unrest and last year's April floods.

“Despite these challenges we tried our best to cater for the needs of the community,” Niemann said.

The mall has 37 tenants, anchored by Shoprite group supermarkets Checkers and Shoprite in one centre — believed to be a first.

“In constructing and conceptualising we saw the need and we have been very successful in catering for such needs,” he said.

Locals see the mall's opening as a much-needed boost to the local economy and for the convenience of shoppers who often have to travel to other areas to do their shopping.

An elated Priya Govender, 35, said: “We are excited by this. It's a first for us and it's something we have always called for.”

While the small town had some recognisable shops for years, the mall will enhance shopping. “Going to Ballito and Umhlanga will now be a thing of the past for some of us,” said Govender.

Donovan Naidoo, 45, said they had waited for a decade for such infrastructure.

“We are thrilled and I hope the people will take care of it. I came here today [Thursday] because I wanted to see the historic moment,” he said.

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