Tshwane govt blacklisting companies that left Rooiwal wastewater project incomplete
The mayor's comments were echoed by Water Minister Pemmy Majodina.
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Standard Bank puts big money behind female entrepreneurs and leaders
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The Citizen
12 hours ago
- The Citizen
Claims of leasing City Hall to the Iranian Embassy clarified
The Tshwane metro has clarified its affairs surrounding the alleged plans to lease the Pretoria CBD's City Hall to the Iranian Embassy. This after DA's Cilliers Brink raised concerns over the metro not being transparent regarding the rescue of the dilapidated City Hall. 'The DA will ask Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya to disclose the details of interactions between the City of Tshwane and the Embassy of Iran,' said Brink in a statement. He said this followed reports about the possible Iranian Embassy's involvement in the repair and leasing of the Pretoria City Hall. 'This is a matter which has never been discussed by the City Council,' he said. In response to the allegations, the metro confirmed that the representatives of the Iranian Embassy did visit the City Hall. However, it said, there were no discussions of any potential arrangement, such as lease terms. 'On May 9, the metro received a formal letter from the Cultural Consulate of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran proposing the establishment of a permanent Iranian Cultural Complex in Tshwane,' said Sthembiso Skosana, spokesperson for the office of the MMC for Corporate and Shared Services. In the letter supplied by the metro, the Iranian Embassy proposed that the metro consider contributing a parcel of municipal building or land to the Iranian Embassy. This would be for the establishment of a permanent Iranian Cultural Complex in the metro. The letter also outlined the Embassy's vision for the proposed facility, which would include a museum, library, restaurant, cinema, and handcraft shops. Skosana said in response to this and similar requests, the Bad Buildings Sub-Mayoral Committee has been actively exploring opportunities to repurpose assets that have long been dormant. The committee was established earlier this year to identify underutilised municipal properties. 'This work is guided by the urgent need to stimulate economic activity, attract investment for infrastructure upgrades, and address the metro's well-known budgetary constraints,' he said. He said as part of the process, officials from the Group Property Department developed a proposal of potential sites for the Embassy's consideration. 'This included, but was not limited to, Tshwane City Hall, which was clearly identified as a protected public asset that is unequivocally not for sale,' he said. He affirmed that the intention was to open exploratory discussions and assess possible alignments with the metro's revitalisation plans. He further acknowledged that the City Hall, a landmark of historic and civic significance, has not been operational for over a decade. 'City Hall is one of several heritage properties under consideration for appropriate reuse as part of the city's broader inner-city regeneration efforts,' he stated. He said its preservation and responsible revitalisation form part of the metro's broader strategy to restore key heritage assets for public benefit. He added that a site visit was conducted on May 28 with representatives of the Iranian Embassy, who were shown the City Hall building and its surrounding precinct. 'Following this inspection, a subsequent request was received from the Embassy to inspect additional potential sites, as only City Hall had been viewed during the initial engagement,' he said. Skosana emphasised that the interactions were entirely exploratory, and no commitments were made by either party. 'To be clear, no discussions have taken place regarding the mechanics of any potential arrangement, such as lease terms, funding models, or final site selection.' He said the metro has hosted similar engagements as part of its efforts to reclaim and revitalise neglected infrastructure through responsible public-private partnerships. 'Recent consultations have included Institutions of Higher Learning, the diplomatic community, property developers, and private sector stakeholders who share an interest in restoring Tshwane's civic assets for public benefit,' he said. Skosana emphasised the metro's commitment to transparent and responsible governance. 'We remain committed to transparency, responsible stewardship, and meaningful engagement with all stakeholders as we work to breathe new life into the Capital City while preserving its cultural heritage for generations to come,' he concluded. ALSO READ: City Hall scandal: officials face disciplinary enquiries Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
West remains crucial to urban renewal, says metro
According to MMC of Corporate Shared Services Kholofelo Morodi, the metro's broader urban renewal strategy will cover Pretoria West. This follows the evictions of illegal occupants during a targeted operation led by Morodi, who is also the metro's bad buildings committee chairperson. Eviction notices were recently issued to illegal tenants of buildings in the area that belong to the metro. Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, had said that the city is owed over R26-million through the leasing of its 12 properties, with 35 stands. Businesses operating illegally were given a notice that expired on July 12, and on July 15, officials were back to ensure all occupants vacated these properties. 'The city-owned precinct had been unlawfully occupied by individuals without valid lease agreements or documentation. In addition to structural neglect and non-payment for services, authorities uncovered a network of illegal electricity connections, posing severe fire hazards and threatening to overload the grid, with implications for citywide energy stability and public safety,' Morodi said. She added that the operation formed part of the bad building committee's mandate to systematically reclaim and reintegrate hijacked, misused and unsafe assets into formal urban development frameworks. The operation was carried out through co-ordination across key departments, including Group Property Management, Group Legal, the city manager's office and the TMPD, among others. Officials received resistance from a group of Nigerian men operating a scrap yard without valid leases. After refusing to move, TMPD impounded all their vehicles. The warehouse was cleared of over 10 illegally erected shacks on top of the business operation without permits. 'The Pretoria West precinct is one of many strategic properties the city will be securing and restoring to operational dignity. These buildings are not just abandoned; they are being repositioned to fuel inclusive growth, job creation, and spatial justice ahead of the Tshwane Investment Summit in September,' Morodi said. The urban renewal strategy is aiming to activate neglected urban spaces, safeguard municipal assets and prepare site-ready zones for catalytic development. 'The city will continue to intensify multi-sectoral operation across all seven regions, reclaiming infrastructure that has been hijacked, repurposed or left to deteriorate and repurposing it,' Morodi said. Residents are encouraged to report illegal electricity use to the city's fraud hotline or email [email protected]. Watch here: City of Tshwane successfully reclaims hijacked City properties in Pretoria West. @CityTshwane — Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) July 17, 2025 Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
