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Esplanade Government Building in Durban CBD.
KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer says stringent oversight will be conducted as it handed over a derelict government building in the Durban CBD to a consortium of private companies to redevelop at a cost of nearly R1 billion.
The Esplanade Government Building is part of the city’s regeneration programme looking at abandoned and derelict buildings in Durban.
The building previously served as offices for several departments including Indian Affairs, Health and Community Development.
MEC Meyer says while this building project has begun, they have big plans for the other 18 government-owned buildings in the city, some of which are hijacked or overcrowded.
“The Esplanade government building is iconic because it has been around for many decades. It is sadly in a very sad state and is standing empty and derelict at the moment. It’s a seven-storey building, 18 000 square metres, holds 100 workers. We are going to renovate, give it a modern look and move government workers back into that building, leading to a saving of hundreds of millions of rands,” he adds.
PODCAST | MEC Martin Meyer speaks to SABC’s Newsbreak:
