The MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Mr Collins Chabane, officially opened the Hubyeni Shopping Mall at Elim on Friday evening.

He was the guest of honor on behalf of the Premier, Sello Moloto, who could not make it to the function, due to other official commitments.

The initiative of the modern shopping mall is a joint venture between the Kerr Limpopo Property Investments, SA Retail Properties, the Makhado Municipality, Elim-Shirley community and the Limpopo provincial government. The mall consists of 50 shops, 50 permanent hawker stalls and a taxi rank with capacity for 22 taxis and ablution facilities.

A total of 635 local people were employed during the construction phase, with a further 500 permanently employed when the mall became operational on Friday.

Chabane said the mall is a true reflection of the success of the partnership between the government and the private sector. He said besides providing jobs, the mall would also provide people with opportunities to trade next to their homes.

He urged other businesspeople to invest in the province. "You will never make a mistake by investing in property, because one development leads to another. Elim will never be the same again, because the opening of this mall means a lot to our local rural communities. Development of this nature was formerly reserved for big towns but we are happy because life is becoming easier for our people on a daily basis."

Chabane thanked all the stakeholders who played a part until the mall became operational.

"This is the type of partnership that we need for the development of our society. Those of you who have the ability must partner with the government to bring development of this nature," he said.

The Managing Director of Kerr Limpopo Property Investments, Mr Len Sloan, said he wanted to thank a lot of people because many stakeholders shared his vision before the mall was constructed. "It has been quite a difficult and long journey with stumbling blocks, but we are happy because all our partners were working hard until the final product was produced. We can only make things happen together and today we are reaping the fruits of our partnership."

The mayor of Makhado Municipality, Cllr Glory Mashaba, said the shopping center is a major boost for the local economy. "The mall is strategically located and people will no longer have to travel long distances to trade. This clearly demonstrates that we are slowly winning the war against poverty and underdevelopment by engaging in vigorous partnerships, she said."