Mbabane: Like a monster that is truly out for war and intent on leaving no stone unturned, the devastating coronavirus also called COVID-19 has interfered in the completion of the new Malkerns Square project. The project was meant to wrap up these Easters but due to a combination of adverse weather elements and the COVID-19 outbreak it is uncertain when it will be finalized.
Malkerns Town Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Melusi Hlanze said in March a fierce thunderstorm swept through Malkerns and messed up the progress of the project. He said some material went to ruin as a result of the storm and work had to start all over again. The cost of the damage was not immediately established at the time of publication due to the relevant department being out on account of the COVID-19 scourge.
Hlanze mentioned that despite such setbacks the board and the project’s management committee were unfazed and pushing through. As yet, said the CEO, they could not account in terms of costs the damage caused by the storm. On another hand, the coronavirus outbreak has been a thorn in the flesh as some workers had to be offloaded, albeit temporarily, in observance of the government’s regulations to control the spread of the virus. “Some workers are at home in observance of regulations set by the government and it only makes sense that progress will be slow,” said Hlanze. They could not figure out when exactly the project would come to rest but were optimistic that it would not be long. “We are pushing through despite the challenges we are facing, all of which we deem temporary,” said Hlanze.
With virtually two years to His Majesty’s Vision of 2022, the fast growing town of Malkerns in the Manzini region is proving a force to be reckoned with. The establishment of the country’s newest town board proved to be the starting point for development for this agricultural landscape, and now all eyes are focused on the state of the art residential lifestyle estate apartments that are ready for occupation. The place is called Malkerns Square, an E1 billion township set alongside the main road, not far from Rhodes Food Group factory.
The structure consists of 54 units with 300 apartments and a total of 1000 others planned, recreational and sports facilities, internal roads and landscaping. Malkerns Square is operated by a corporate body called Pine-acres and is designed to be eco-friendly encourage environmental pride.
The relatively small, but steadily developing area of Malkerns will never be the same especially after the establishment of the multi-million upmarket Malkerns Square.
Besides being the home to traditional plantation of pineapple the area has introduced sugarcane growing, the rearing of livestock, as well as being home to one of the country’s major employers, the Swaziland Fruit Canners, otherwise known as Swazi-can.
Malkerns is set to establish an economic activity zone of note with first world features. Pine-acres Limited has already begun work on developing land that covers 40.82 hectares and establishing the Malkerns Square that will surely change the face of Malkerns from being an average agricultural zone.
Situated next to Princess Pholile Hall, opposite the Malkerns Post Office and Swazi-can, Malkerns has brought residential units incorporating plots and apartment structures of varying densities; social facilities that include a primary and high school, retail space; service station; church, taxi rank and recreational facilities; as well as designated sewerage treatment plant; together with the provision of relevant infrastructure. This is contained in the Malkerns Square project profile that is included in its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document.
The first phase was in two parts, and planned to have a total footprint of 8.32 hectares and consisted of retail space (2.14 hectares); a service station; municipal offices; a primary and high school (2.5 hectares); recreational facilities (1.55 hectares) a sewerage treatment plant; 300 residential units (19 low density, 16 medium density and 265 high density).
Phase two to seven, on the other hand, entailed the development of more residential, plots, a church and a park.
The objective of this project is to create an opportunity for the Swati population, to secure their part in the ownership of a lifestyle development complex which incorporates a safe and complex existence, within a first world environment in Eswatini.
It is to provide an opportunity for the Swati population and the Malkerns community, including the surrounding areas, to purchase houses and land for the purpose of building homes with access to social and recreational facilities. The opportunity will be inclusive of houses and apartments together with the social and commercial support structures, like a school and a retail shopping center, providing most of the required support services for the community of Malkerns and the wider Swati population.
It can be revealed that the project has come, following an agreement between Pine-acres Limited and Swazi-can, to exchange portions of their farms whereby the former sold some portion of its farm to the former in return for Swazi-can to then sell land that is within the Malkerns Municipal boundary to Pine-acres to establish the project.
This has therefore resulted in a win-win situation for both players, as Swazi-can is able to continue growing pineapple, while the development has also begun.
The project site has been seen as an extension of the Malkerns urban area giving the area a formalized settlement with proper infrastructure and facilities.
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