The homeless living at the battered Kruger Park in the Pretoria CBD are saddened to be losing the roof over their heads.
Dwellers in the 33-storey dilapidated building said many of them had been living there since the building became vacant more than 10 years ago.
A man staying at the building, who said he would like to remain anonymous, said if they were forced to leave the building, he was worried about the struggles they would have to face.
“When we leave this place, we will be struggling as we have nowhere to stay.”
He said the building was not just a place to sleep, but a means to source an income.
They used the building to store tins and cans they would collect in the CBD and eventually sell to make ends meet.
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The building is also known as a crime hub and has been a problem for pedestrians and residents in the CBD.
“This building is not a crime area by the people who stay here.”
He said the building was used by others to hide themselves from police or use the building as an escape route due to its access to the streets around it.
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Thabo Phiri, a Security guard working at the Tshwane metro police pound near Kruger Park, said turning the building into student accommodation had its pros and cons.
He said the accessibility of shops would be problem for students as they were far out and crime in and around Marabastad was drastically high.
“A lot of people are mugged crossing from Marabastad to the inner CBD already.”
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Phiri said a lot of students registered at various universities in Pretoria, but many later go home as a result of a shortage of accommodation.
If students did live in the area, jobs would be created, especially for security guards like himself.
“A lot of people register to be security, however jobs are scarce.”
Jobs would also be created for businesses such as laundries and grocery shops and people providing transportation.
The Tshwane metro is conducting a city-wide property clean-up which it says will see student accommodation woes in the Pretoria CBD coming to an end.
Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa told Rekord that the metro was off-loading properties to generate income for the city and to alleviate the backlog of student accommodation.
The city has sold property that has fallen prey to illegal occupants in Eldoraigne, Sunnyside and Lady Selbourne, generating R11.6-million, said the mayor in his State of the Capital Address.
He said the properties in the city that would be used for student accommodation were Melgisedek and Kruger Park.
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The properties would address the complaints about the lack of student accommodation in the city which led to protests by Tshwane University of Technology students earlier in the year.
He said the housing company Tshwane was also developing affordable accommodation in the CBD and townlands in Marabastad.
Other buildings in Bloed, Bosman, Paul Kruger streets and three blocks in the northern gateway have been earmarked for sale to government departments.
“A further 56 properties were sold to the public works department to the tune of R81.3-million,” the metro said.
“The profits will be utilised for the national government office precinct which will go towards furthering the inner city Rekgabisa Tshwane project,” he added.
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