As part of the City of Joburg’s plan to turn the city into a so-called construction site, Joburg executive mayor Clr Herman Mashaba visited Yeoville for the first in a series of sod-turning ceremonies.
The event on August 21 marked the launch of the mayor’s Inner-City Rejuvenation Project, a multi-billion rand local government-private sector undertaking, which has seen the awarding of 84 previously hijacked buildings in the inner-city and surrounds, from a pool of about 154 already identified ones.
Speaking to the EXPRESS at the site of one of four buildings visited on the day, located at the intersection of Joe Slovo Drive and Hendon Street, Mashaba said all properties which have been identified of which the owners cannot be traced, will be given over to the private sector for further development and use, after all due processes are followed.
According to Mashaba, these buildings will largely be used as commercial retail and urban or residential living spaces.
“In my first 100 days in office on December 1, I made a statement that we are going to take back this city and turn it into a construction site. I had identified an opportunity to address a huge housing backlog and declared war against crime.
“The four buildings launched today have already been awarded to companies that have the balance sheet to build. We hope to release a further 70 buildings by the end of September,” said Mashaba.
Asked how easy or difficult an exercise reclaiming more buildings in the inner-city and surrounds would be, Mashaba said he does not expect that his office will not encounter challenges.
“Well, I think a project of this nature can never be easy,” said Mashaba.
“But what is easy in life? Life is not easy and it can only get tougher. At the end of the day, we have the determination and willingness to do something. I think I and the people around me are committed to ensuring that we turn this city around.”
Another question levelled at the mayor was that of whose responsibility it is to ensure that properties in the city remain free from the clutches of hijackers in the future.
“I think we need the national criminal justice system to not allow anyone to hijack somebody else’s property. How do we live in a country where you have total lawlessness? We are going to put pressure on the national government to ensure that they carry out and discharge the responsibility of the criminal justice system,” he committed.
