Pretoria’s inner city is set to undergo a major revitalisation effort with the establishment of a new mayoral subcommittee in the City of Tshwane tasked with tackling the issue of dilapidated, hijacked, and abandoned buildings.
Led by MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, the subcommittee is expected to conduct a thorough investigation into the state of dilapidated buildings and subsequently compile a comprehensive database to be submitted to the mayoral committee.
The initiative follows on the heels of the city’s recently launched “Reclaim Our City” campaign, which shed light on the numerous neglected structures blighting the urban landscape.
Morodi stated: “This initiative responds to the urgent need to tackle the issue of deteriorating buildings in the Pretoria CBD and explore their potential for economic and housing solutions.”
According to her, the subcommittee will play a crucial role to devise innovative strategies for re-purposing and revitalising both public and privately owned properties.
The committee will comprise a multidisciplinary team of MMCs from departments, which include Community Safety, Economic Development, Spatial Planning, Housing, and Human Settlements.
Morodi said: “Our primary responsibilities include drafting and submitting the terms of reference, which will be presented to the mayoral committee for approval in February 2025.”
Additionally, she said, the committee will establish a technical committee comprising relevant internal departments and external experts to develop a comprehensive database of all buildings in the CBD.
The database, she said, will provide a detailed property profile by categorising buildings based on key factors, including ownership, purpose (residential or commercial), condition and capacity.
“We are confident that this initiative will address housing needs, including low-cost housing and student accommodation, and support economic activities, including business spaces and tourism development,” she said.
She urged residents to participate by reporting any problematic buildings in their neighbourhoods.
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya said currently, the information about the number of hijacked buildings in the CBD is unknown.
She expressed concern that hijacked buildings are connecting illegally to infrastructure for them to have water and electricity.
“They have bypassed our meters; they are using our buildings in a way they are not supposed to,” she said.
For example, she said during the “Reclaim Our City” campaign, it was discovered that some residentially zoned buildings were partly being used for commercial purposes, such as hair salons.
Moya also expressed concern that hijacked buildings often harboured illegal immigrants.