Johannesburg Mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse has said that the implosion of the Kaserne building in the inner city was a major milestone in addressing the housing backlog in the city.
The City of Joburg currently has close to 480 000 people on the waiting list for houses.
The four-second implosion of the historic building was undertaken on Sunday morning and was attended by various members of the Joburg Mayoral Committee, Department of Housing officials, Joscho officials, leadership and various stakeholders.
“The Kaserne building was condemned by the court after it caught fire following an illegal electricity connection and sadly lives were lost,” Phalatse said.
City’s MMC for Housing, Mlungisi Mabaso, said that the demolition of the building will also make way for the public-private partnership which can assist to fast track the pace of delivery of housing.
“This area will be a site for the development of mixed housing units such as RDP homes and rental houses. The residents of the nearby informal settlement will be prioritized during the development of the new housing units,” Mabaso said.
“The mixed development is aimed at addressing the housing need for RDP beneficiaries, subsidized homes that come at lower costs as well as social housing for rentals. This means that this development will cater to different income groups in an effort to cover the different housing needs need in the City of Johannesburg.”
An estimated 1,500 units will be built in the area in an effort to address the housing backlog in the City of Joburg.
The area will be developed into a township with all amenities, including a healthcare facility and an early childhood development centre.
