Nkadimeng plans to breathe new life into CBD

POLOKWANE – “The city of Polokwane is without a doubt one of the fastest growing in the north and is lively with economic and business opportunities that have made it become the centre for regional economic development in the area,” Polokwane Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng said at the Business Investment Seminar breakfast at Fusion Boutique Hotel last Thursday.
According to Nkadimeng, the council has strategies in place which seek to address key challenges and place the local economy on a higher growth path. “As a municipality we continue to prioritise economic development and growth. We continue to invest in the empowerment of the Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMME) sector as it has been proven that growth in this sector will drive the growth of our local economy,” she continued.
She said the municipality will continuously implement the Smart City Concept in other service delivery fields to create an encouraging environment for investment growth. “We have achieved consensus with the business community to find ways to unlock job opportunities, find smart ways to unlock economic growth using land the city owns and effectively deal with illegal land use. The arts theatre project also brings with it massive investment opportunities in the entertainment sector. The city centre requires revitalisation and remodeling of business operations,” she added.
She said the Integrated Rapid Transport System is progressing well. “It is intended to assist the municipality to provide adequate transport infrastructure, increase utilisation of public transport services and to improve the image and acceptability of public transport across various income groups.
According to Nkadimeng, land development is one of the most important facets which will contribute towards the growth of Polokwane into a world-class African city with a prosperous community. “One of the biggest challenges faced by the city is the shortage of student accommodation and illegal land use. To mitigate this challenge, council adopted the Central Business Development (CBD) Urban Renewal Strategy with an objective to curb illegal accommodation and devise a means for student accommodation. The area in downtown CBD is in such a decaying state and vulnerable students reside there in appalling conditions. This is where the majority of illegal land use is practiced. The municipality will partner with developers and possibly institutions of higher learning to realise the success of this programme so that our children are accommodated in befitting conditions.”
Nkadimeng further says the inner city requires regeneration into a character of a CBD that encourages departure from conservative to one that is an inclusive, vibrant and multi-cultural African city. “The place is radiating with a healthy hunger for real estate and property investors to invest in. An Urban Development Zone and the CBD Development Plan are in place to aid the inner city regeneration. Some of the proposals include Development of Urban Design Framework for the pedestrianisation of Church Street between Thabo Mbeki and Hospital Streets and areas where the CBD connects to the Nelson Mandela Corridor,” she concluded.
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