New hope for Tshwane’s neglected landmarks and bad buildings

There is new hope for so-called borderline bad buildings in the City of Tshwane following multiple attempts and small steps to clean up the capital.

The city has eventually issued the Women’s Living Heritage Monument with a certificate of occupancy after it was closed and collecting dust from 2018.

Occupancy certificate marks a milestone

While DA Gauteng spokesperson for sport, arts, culture and recreation Leanne de Jager has welcomed MEC Lebogang Maile’s recent announcement of the certificate of occupancy, she has demanded an opening date for the R200 million monument, which has remained shut since 2018 amid construction and compliance failures.

“This must not be mistaken for the completion of the government’s responsibility: an occupancy certificate is different from a monument that is open and serving the public,” she added.

De Jager said they would have prioritised and expedited the opening of the monument, ensuring it fulfils its purpose of honouring heroes such as Sophia Williams-de Bruyn, while unlocking its potential to become an important tourism attraction, support local businesses and create employment opportunities.

Telkom Towers redevelopment gathers momentum

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson visited the Telkom Towers Precinct, another abandoned building in the city, known as the Telkom Towers.

“It is one that has been bedevilled by previous administrations and which has given rise to serious allegations of malfeasance and lack of consequence management,” said Macpherson.

“In December last year, I communicated the crossroads we faced – one direction where we allow the status quo to continue and focus on what went wrong, or we chart a new course.

“I specifically outlined our intention then to adopt a rehabilitate-operate transfer model that will ultimately see the precinct fully occupied by government departments,” said Macpherson.

Thousands of jobs expected from the project

He added based on estimates, the Telkom Towers redevelopment was expected to cost R1.8 billion to R2.2 billion.

“Once completed, the department will have 106 000m2 of gross leasable area that can be used to maximise state revenue, either by existing clients or new ones.

“From the redevelopment, we will contribute to the direct creation of more than 5 300 construction jobs,” he added.

The city is also playing its part. Last week, it inspected 269 Robert Sobukwe Street and cut the power and removed the water meter due to non-compliance.

MMC for community safety Hannes Coetzee said on-site enforcement also saw TMPD issue a R500 fine for trading without a valid business licence, while municipal health issued a R5 000 fine for handling food without a certificate of acceptability.