Kokosi project stalls, local economic development remains on hold

Tags

---

09-09-2025
Read : 13 times
The Citizen Online
Source

Contractors are reportedly unpaid, and construction has barely started.

Despite repeated promises by the Merafong City Local Municipality, a project that could significantly boost Kokosi’s local economy remains incomplete.

Executive Mayor Nozuko Best highlighted in the recent State of the City Address that the municipality, with support from Harmony Gold and several government departments, was developing the Kokosi Market Square, intended as the hub of a new business node.

However, progress on the ground tells a different story. The initiative was launched in October 2023 as a site where small business owners could trade from container stalls on A Lembede Drive. Today, there are no containers in sight, and construction appears far from finished. Since May, the only visible work has been the closure of a deep stormwater ditch.

Opposition councillor Vuyisile Mqotha told the Herald the project is stalling because contractors have not yet been paid.
“I tried to attend a meeting about the project on May 29, but the mayor chased me away, saying only the ward councillor could attend,” Mqotha said.

Despite repeated inquiries by the Herald, the municipality has yet to respond to questions regarding the project’s status.