'Give us a voice': Piketberg CBD businesses fear N7 mall will drain town-centre trade

Piketberg CBD business owners are concerned that a new shopping mall on the N7 will divert trade away from the town centre. Some business owners have threatened not to vote or vote for opposition parties in the upcoming local elections, fearing the mall will draw customers away from their shops and restaurants. Dean Jankielsohn, whose family owns the Piquetberg Mall and a Spar store, said he might not vote at all.

Izak Rumboll, a land surveyor representing the developers, argued that the new mall would benefit the entire town, citing the saying "a rising tide lifts all boats." The town of Piketberg, located about 130km north of Cape Town, serves a region with farms and a population of 12,075 in the 2011 census. The main road connecting Cape Town and Namibia, the N7, also brings long-distance motorists to the town.

However, many of these motorists prefer to stop at filling stations and restaurants outside the town rather than in the town centre. The Winkelshoek filling station and restaurant, located across the N7 from the town centre, has been criticized by ratepayers for taking business away from local shops. The municipal planning tribunal has approved the development plans for the new shopping mall, anchored by Checkers, a national supermarket chain.

The objection to the application has been raised over concerns that the new mall will take business away from the town centre. The municipality has attempted to address the concerns by advertising the application in local newspapers and on their website, but ratepayers feel they had no say in the matter. The rough sleepers in Piketberg have moved into the old golf clubhouse on their own, which the council is considering expropriating to take control of the land.