The Gauteng provincial government has signed a memorandum of intent
(MoI) with the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) for the release of five properties
around Constitution Hill, as part of the provincial
government’s Rapid Land Release Programme.
The agreement, which was signed by Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo and Wits vice-chancellor and
principal Professor Adam Habib, paves the way for the
university to conduct a due diligence process and feasibility studies,
including a financial model, that will result
in the buildings being transformed to meet
their institutional needs.
Speaking at the signing ceremony on Tuesday, Mamabolo said the signing of the
agreement was an important milestone in the journey of the establishment of a
student accommodation precinct in the heart of the City of Johannesburg.
“We are releasing these properties towards the spatial transformation of
the area around Constitution Hill. These properties will help
us change the space economy of that area and allow us to bring back these buildings of government to drive
the economy,” said Mamabolo.
“With this partnership . . . we are leading a way and setting a benchmark using
the precinct model of development as the best way to optimise land and
space,” he added.
Habib said the partnership was an important one in addressing the
challenges faced by institutions of higher learning.
“If we are ever going to resolve the student accommodation challenge, then it can’t be done institution by institution, it requires a systemic solution. I want to thank the Gauteng government because they recognise that stakeholders across the public divide need to collaborate,” he said.
