The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development has launched an initiative to recover government buildings that are illegally occupied across the province and use them for student accommodation and other service delivery requirements.

The department has identified several properties that are illegally occupied and posing a risk to surrounding communities.

Responding to questions during a sitting in the Gauteng provincial legislature, Gauteng Department of Human Settlements MEC Jacob Mamabolo said that this initiative was part of the Gauteng provincial government’s (GPG’s) objective to increase the value of all registered and strategic properties owned by government.

“As the custodian of the GPG’s immovable assets, last year, the department completed the immovable asset register, [comprising assets] worth just over R31-billion, and is already implementing a programme to ensure that these properties provide value for the people of Gauteng,” he said.

The department has already started reclaiming some illegally occupied properties in the City of Tshwane, making them available to meet student accommodation needs.

“I will be taking this initiative to the other parts of the province to reclaim these properties in the interests of the people of Gauteng,” commented Mamabolo.

He said the department received the go-ahead from the provincial government to ensure that all public properties were managed effectively and efficiently to relieve the province of unnecessary costs, such as those related to security and maintenance.

The department will achieve this through the disposal of properties that are nonstrategic to the core business of government.

“We will also be going to the market to acquire technical capacity to manage these properties, enter into lease agreements and collect revenue to ensure that these assets can serve the needs of the people of our province.”