Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale is hoping to address the housing backlog by claiming back old dilapidated buildings and making them habitable places.
“People keeping on saying that we need land to address the housing backlog,” Sexwale said on Tuesday at the launch of a block of flats in the Johannesburg central business district.
“But we have these old dilapidated buildings that we can refurbish and put our people there,” he said.
During the launch of the Cavendish Chambers, he said the project would be used as a prototype to address the issue of housing in the country.
The building was originally built in 1950 and became vacant in the early 1990s.
The building was hijacked and later reclaimed by government and refurbished to house people who earn low incomes.
“The city is coming back ...cities never die,” he said.
Sexwale said that during his tenure as premier of Gauteng he was pained to see the demise of Johannesburg's inner city.
However, he said it was because of the private public partnership that the city was becoming the Johannesburg that it used to be.
“Cities like Paris, New York and London inner-city also went down so this is not a unique South African situation.”
He said about 2,500 informal settlements in the country were indicative of the challenge that government was facing in providing its people with decent houses.
He said close partnerships between business, government and communities were needed in order to address the housing crisis.
“People keeping on saying that we need land to address the housing backlog,” Sexwale said on Tuesday at the launch of a block of flats in the Johannesburg central business district.
“But we have these old dilapidated buildings that we can refurbish and put our people there,” he said.
During the launch of the Cavendish Chambers, he said the project would be used as a prototype to address the issue of housing in the country.
The building was originally built in 1950 and became vacant in the early 1990s.
The building was hijacked and later reclaimed by government and refurbished to house people who earn low incomes.
“The city is coming back ...cities never die,” he said.
Sexwale said that during his tenure as premier of Gauteng he was pained to see the demise of Johannesburg's inner city.
However, he said it was because of the private public partnership that the city was becoming the Johannesburg that it used to be.
“Cities like Paris, New York and London inner-city also went down so this is not a unique South African situation.”
He said about 2,500 informal settlements in the country were indicative of the challenge that government was facing in providing its people with decent houses.
He said close partnerships between business, government and communities were needed in order to address the housing crisis.
“Why worry about when we will get space to build houses if we can find these old buildings, rejuvenate them and provide housing for our people.”
He also warned people who hijacked buildings, saying that his department was currently in talks with police and the Hawks about enforcing evictions and stopping the trend of building hijacking.
- Sapa
4 comments:
N2 Gateway flagship...
Inner-city Prototype...
mmmmmmmmmmm.........
pity these once off flash in the pan ideas often turn out to be cost prohibitive, and lead to bankruptcy
but that's what those diepsloot shack dwellers are now getting, a rental in a highrise, in the innercity....
tsk tsk tsk tsk Human Settlements needs to be brought into check & reality.
I have to reword this honestly: I do! because lets face it this is what he means and what will happen.
“Why worry about when we will get space, those properties are worth much more if we sell them off bit by bit to wealthy developers, we can just jack those jacked buildings; spend much more money on upgrading them and then charge rental of our people.”
What is Tokyo Sexwale?
The year began with him as 2010 FIFA spokesperson, A1 Entrepreneur, Successful ((B))B(((BB)))EEE Entrepreneur and blindingly unknowingly tender winner, Booo investigator and report writer, shack sleeper presidential hopeful and oh yes Minister of Human Settlements...
He's a fighter pilot, a human rights activist - spent time on Robben island, matchbox houses made him an activist and oh yes his houses will rock!... and Minister of Human Settlements.
He was the Premier of Gauteng at the dawn of the rainbow nation and the building jacking in Hillbrow, Gauteng.
and oh yes he's Now the Minister of Human Settlements.
An avid photographer... did I mention a fighter pilot? and oh yes Minister of Human Settlements.
This year he spent his 67 Mandela minutes building a better SA by driving around Khayalami in a F1 car… and oh yes he’s the Minister of Human Settlements…
The year began with everything coming from Tokyo’s Mind going through one Chris Vick’s mouth first… later in the year this channelling was done by ousted WC minister of housing Richard Dyanti..
Now the Minister of Human Settlements has something to say from his own mouth about the building jacking…
…tsk…
Look at this unimpressed face! It has NOTHING but scorn for your efforts!
Correction: Tokyo didn't sleep that night in the shack - he was working...
by candle light, without electricity and a flush toilet... or a desk or chair...
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