Indecision costs metro multi-millions
While architects and developers are sharpening their pencils to start with the development of the land that houses Plastic View, it is claimed that the metro was dragging its heels on taking action.
Developers are clamouring to get their hands on the valuable property that currently houses the notorious Plastic View – home to some 3 000 squatters.
Prospective developers and residents believe that the Tshwane metro missed a golden opportunity and a massive cash injection into the city’s coffers by dragging its heels and not resolving the Plastic View matter speedily.
“Should the municipality get its act together, this extremely negative part of the east will eventually turn into one of the economic hubs of Tshwane,” said resident of a neighbouring estate, Werner Stander.
“This will create a massive income stream in tax revenue for the city over and above the property value of probably a R400 million immediate cash injection.”
“This is just what the city needs to alleviate the massive backlog of infrastructure and creation of job opportunities.”
The squatter camp is situated on the farm Garstfontein that borders De Villebois Mareuil Drive and Garstfontein Road.
It neighbours the Moreleta NG Church, Woodlands Boulevard shopping centre and two of the most expensive estates in the east of Pretoria, namely Woodhill and Mooikloof.
Several developers who spoke to Rekord said the area was regarded to have some of the most prime spots for not only residential, but also commercial property development.
The area could however, not be touched before the Plastic View issue was finalised either way.
The property on which Plastic View is situated was listed to go under the hammer by the metro last year, but an eleventh-hour court interdict, brought on behalf of the residents of the settlement by Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), forced the metro to withdraw the property, and an adjacent land parcel, from the auction.
Earlier statements by the metro said it still planned to auction off the land once the issue was resolved.
Several residents of the more than 1 000-shack settlement are illegal foreign nationals from Zimbabwe and Lesotho among other areas.
According to city officials, this was hampering the relocation or formal housing of South Africans living in the camp.
According to Tshwane metro’s existing Regional Spatial Development Framework (RSDF), the land was earmarked for the development of a high-end missed-use development.
In his State of the Capital address Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said a Gautrain link to the area was on the cards.
Court orders and talks between the metro and the department of home affairs on how to deal with the illegal foreigners have however, been delaying the resettlement or formalisation of Plastic View.
Several questions to the metro on the latest developments and plans for the settlement went unanswered this week.
Stander said he had some insight in the development opportunities for the property.
“I have contacted the relevant (Tshwane) infrastructure departments. All replied the same: as soon as an agreement is reached with the legal representative of Plastic View, the property will go on auction,” said Stander.
“We also know that developers, of which are some the major role players, are queuing for this opportunity. The existing RSDF for the area earmarks this for ‘The Waterfall’ of Tshwane.”
He said the recent reports of violence erupting in Plastic View clearly indicated that the situation had now escalated to breaking point.
Also read:
Theft sparked deadly violence in Plastic View
Plastic View move to Garsfontein on cards
Sale of Plastic View merely ‘postponed’
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