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The City of Tshwane says no deal has been made after Iran’s embassy expressed interest in using the long-abandoned city hall as a cultural centre.
The current state of the city hall’s surroundings in Tshwane, after millions were allegedly spent on its revamp. Picture: Supplied
Following rumours Tshwane city hall may be rented to the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the City of Tshwane said nothing was set in stone yet.
MMC for corporate and shared services Kholofelo Morodi said no discussions have taken place regarding the mechanics of any arrangement, such as lease terms, funding models or final site selection.
“These interactions remain entirely exploratory, with no commitments made by either party,” she said.
Morodi said the city received a formal letter from the cultural consulate of the Iran embassy on 9 May proposing the establishment of a permanent Iranian cultural complex in Tshwane.
The letter outlined the embassy’s vision for a facility that would include a museum, library, restaurant, cinema and handcraft shops, and requested the city consider allocating land or a building for this purpose.
City explores reuse of dormant civic assets
“In response to this and similar requests, the bad buildings sub-mayoral committee, established earlier this year to identify underutilised municipal properties, has been exploring opportunities to repurpose assets long dormant,” she said.
“This work is guided by the urgent need to stimulate economic activity, attract investment for infrastructure upgrades and address budgetary constraints.”
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Morodi said the city hall was one of several heritage properties under consideration for reuse as part of the city’s broader inner-city regeneration efforts, adding that it has not been operational for over a decade.
Embassy toured city hall, requested further sites
“A site visit was conducted on 28 May with representatives of the embassy.” She said the embassy requested to inspect additional sites.
Morodi added that the city has hosted similar engagements with institutions of higher learning, the diplomatic community, property developers and private sector stakeholders, who are interested in restoring Tshwane’s civic assets for public benefit.
DA slams potential deal with Iran
DA Tshwane caucus leader Cilliers Brink said that from correspondence released last week, it is clear Iran is not interested in a plan to revive the city hall.
“Rather, it wants the city to consider contributing a parcel of a municipal building,” he said.
Brink asked why Tshwane would even consider gifting, or otherwise alienating, a historical cultural asset to a foreign government.
“In the letter of 9 May to the Tshwane MMC responsible for property management, Kholofelo Morudi, the embassy touts various benefits of such a ‘cultural centre’. This is apparently what prompted the MMC to give Iranian officials a tour of city hall. But the benefits of Iran’s offer are dubious at best,” he said.
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Brink said Iran has a far stronger relationship with the ANC than it does with the South African people.
“Iranian investment in SA is minuscule compared with the US. For decades, the ANC has confused its own interests with SA’s interests.
“Their close proximity to Iran is one of the factors that has complicated our relationship with the US. The US, SA’s secondlargest trading partner, has an enormous stake in the automotive sector that provides tens of thousands of jobs to Tshwane residents.”
Brink said SA is, or ought to be, in negotiations with the US to shore up the relationship and the capital city should not undermine this.
Analysts question transparency and diplomatic wisdom
Political analyst Piet Croucamp said any relationship with Iran would be controversial in the circumstances.
Political analyst Rene Oosthuizen said transparency and rigorous oversight were fundamental to good governance, especially in municipal affairs that involve foreign entities.
“It is of utmost importance that the City of Tshwane fully discloses the nature and terms of any engagements with the Iranian embassy.”
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