Public Works to release hijacked buildings in pilot project
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson says they will begin releasing previously hijacked and abandoned public buildings for new projects next month.
The department identified over 200 hijacked buildings in the country.
Macpherson briefed the media on Tuesday after a meeting with the hospitality union Fedhasa.
He said some buildings in eThekwini have been selected for a pilot project aimed at boosting tourism in the province.
"They are very prominent buildings, and I think they are of great use commercially to the city and to the tourism market. We will also be announcing all of those other ones across the country. It will be a pilot project that I think will be oversubscribed, which is what we are looking at to do."
READ: 80% of KZN govt buildings audited, says Public Works MEC
Macpherson touched on the Project Preparation Fund launched last week, which he hopes the city will take advantage of.
He said municipalities often struggle to raise private sector capital for infrastructure projects.
"So what we are doing is to say, we as the national department the projects will still go to you but let us package, prepare and go to the market for you on those projects.
"We will deliver them to you and we will hand them over with a maintenance contract. We are not taking anything away from the municipalities we are just being able to do more for them in a quicker way."
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