Metro car wash ‘impotent’
A year later, state-of-the-art car wash still on 'hold'.
The apparent impotence of a controversial car wash owned by Tshwane metro has Mamelodi residents up in arms.
The R6.6 million Reitumetse car wash was opened with great fanfare by mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa in 2014.
It was billed as an opportunity for smaller car wash owners to join a major enterprise and for other entrepreneurs to cash in.
Spin-off businesses around the car wash were envisaged for them, such as eateries, hair salons, and laundries.
But none of this had come true so far, said residents this week.
They claimed that the car wash in Mamelodi East was never operational to begin with.
“Since the mayor came here to open this car wash, it was never opened after that. No one knows why,”
said an angry resident Julius Mahlaku.
Mahlaku said there had been rumours for a while that the multi-million car wash was about to close down.
Another resident, gogo Anika Ndlozi (61), said: “There was noise made by the metro when they announced on big radio stations but why are they not making noise now about the closure?”
Her grandson used to wash taxis at the spot where the metro had built its “state-of-the-art” car wash.
“We want answers about the car wash because funds were misused here,” said gogo Ndlozi.
Thulani Ndlozi (26), who has been out of work after his mini car wash was closed, said the metro had made a big mistake.
“It was so wrong of the metro to let me and guys like Walter Lerumo not be a part of the project from the start. Now we are unemployed,” he said.
“Do they want us to do crime or end up smoking nyaope like our brothers have?”
Ndlozi said several smaller cash wash owners suffered as they were moved away from the Reitumetse premises where they used to do business.
Many of them now had to make do with washing cars on the pavement, he said.
Mayoral spokesperson Blessing Manale said the metro was aware of allegations that the project was
not profitable.
Manale claimed there were people opposed to the Reitumetse car wash project from the outset.
“We have been made aware of unscrupulous individuals who have been attempting to convince the cooperative to sell off the asset to them,” Manale said.
Asked why the project was on hold, he said there were economic opportunities for locals still to come to fruition once it got underway.
Manale said the project remained one of high potential to change the lives of Mamelodi people for the better.
A second facility of this nature was actually in the pipeline for Atteridgeville in the next financial year, he said.
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