Members of the public wishing to comment on the planned demolition of certain Johannesburg inner city buildings to make way for the Gauteng provincial government precinct should do so by February 4.
The government plans to pull down these buildings to make way for a public square, said Premier Mbhazima Shilowa’s spokesperson Thabo Masebe on Wednesday.
The buildings concerned were protected by the National Heritage Resources Act, under the ”the sixty year rule”. This means any building older than 60 years may not be altered, added to or demolished without a permit from the South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA), said Herbert Prince, member of the Gauteng
Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (GPHRA).
”Every building older than 60 years is not necessarily worthy of conservation but it is protected against random or indiscriminate demolition.”
Business Day on Wednesday reported the buildings earmarked for demolition were:
New Library Hotel, 67 Commissioner Street;
Second Rand Water Board Building, 3 Fraser Street;
People’s Bank (formerly South African Permanent Mutual Society Buildings), 73-74 Commissioner Street;
South African Reserve Bank House, 78-80 Commissioner Street;
Clegg House (formerly New Cluwer House), Commissioner Street.
All the buildings were owned by the Gauteng provincial government, said Masebe.
”If people feel such properties should not be destroyed they have the opportunity to make representation to SAHRA,” said Masebe.
Government would submit a heritage impact assessment report to SAHRA for approval of the proposed demolition.
Prince said there were no set criteria for deciding whether to grant or deny such a request.
”It is very much a question of assessing whether or not the structure has cultural significance. Cultural significance does not mean merely architectural significance. One would also be required to consider social and political factors and other aspects of significance,” he said.
SAHRA would be dealing with the application as the GPHRA did not yet have the competency to handle an application under section 38 of the National Heritage Resources Act, said Jennifer Kitto, assistant manager of SAHRA.
Kitto could not say when a decision would be reached on the application.
Shilowa said the precinct would extend from Rissik Street in the east to Sauer Street in the west, Pritchard Street in the north and Fox Street in the south.
”We have over the past period conducted negotiations with property owners and have secured the relevant buildings. These buildings together cover 150 000 square metres and constitute six percent of the central business district’s property market,” said Shilowa. – Sapa