WEDNESDAY, 2:30PM:
SOME of South Africa’s numerous army bases may soon be converted to schools, prisons and hospitals. On Tuesday the cabinet approved plans to rationalise the defence force’s assets. Vast tracts of land acquired by the SA Defence Force during the apartheid era will be released for public use, and the military will reduce itself to a “core force”.
Public Works minister Jeff Radebe told parliament the move signifies “massive potential” to jump-start economic development. “If we can pull this through, we’ll unlease economic potential never seen before,” Radebe said.
Department director-general Sipho Shezi said the army currently holds 48% of the land in the Northern Cape, and a lesser amount of each province. He listed housing, university campuses, film studios and airports among possible uses for the land.