Rabie Ridge factories to be expropriated to make way for housing
Mashaba said these factories will be expropriated within the existing legal framework of the constitution.
Just before he officially steps down, Johannesburg metro mayor Clr Herman Mashaba has announced that the city has passed a resolution to expropriate 37 abandoned factories across the City of Johannesburg, with Tembisa factories in Rabie Ridge also being expropriated.
Mashaba said these factories will be expropriated within the existing legal framework of the constitution.
“For this, we will utilise the fact that they are abandoned, owners are untraceable and money owed on these properties exceed their value.
“This move allows the city to put the properties out to tender, with the intention of allowing private developers to create as many housing units as possible for our residents, closer to economic opportunities.
“The abandoned factories that have been identified are located in areas such as Rabie Ridge in Tembisa,” he said.
“This victory for low-cost housing follows on the back of 139 properties and land parcels having been awarded to developers across the inner city, which will generate more than R30-billion in investment, 11 000 construction sector jobs and about 8 000 affordable housing units.
The City of Johannesburg, has previously sought to tackle the housing backlog with a reliance upon RDP housing each year, which could never begin to reduce the challenge.
This is why the multi-party government has adopted an approach which is producing sizeable results in site and service projects, informal settlement upgrades, social housing and partnering with the private sector,” added Mashaba.
He went on saying that in the environment in which government alone cannot address the staggering housing backlogs, it is imperative that they create the environment for the private sector to unleash the potential of their balance sheets, expertise and efficiency to the benefit of the poorest residents in the city.
He said the city has considerable plans in the 2019/20 financial year to roll-out over 2 000 RDP houses, 4 000 serviced stands and 10 informal settlement upgrades.
