By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The City of Tshwane has confirmed talks with the Iranian Embassy on the use of public properties, saying it was considering the proposal from Iran.
This comes after the embassy has approached the municipality about its desire to turn the capital’s “abandoned” city hall into an Iranian cultural complex.
The city hall has not been in operation for a decade and requires more than R200 million to fix.
Damage was done to the city hall as part of a botched and irregular refurbishment project under the African National Congress (ANC).
The embassy said it wanted to build a dynamic cultural hub that would feature Iranian restaurants, a museum and library, among other facilities.
It said the construction and subsequent facilities would create employment and economic opportunities in the capital, also deepening the cultural relationship between South Africa and Iran.
Tshwane Corporate and Shared Services MMC, Kholofelo Morodi, said the city was actively looking for opportunities to repurpose dormant municipal buildings.
“This work is guided by the urgent need to stimulate economic activity, attract investment for infrastructure upgrades and address the city’s well-known budgetary constraints. The city hall is one of several heritage properties under consideration for this appropriately used as part of the city’s broader inner city rejuvenation efforts.”
While no decision has been made, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said any relationship the city wanted to enter into with Iran must first be debated in council.
Allegations about illicit Iranian support for the ANC, which have never been refuted in clear terms, has already tainted South Africa’s international reputation. Tshwane cannot become embroiled in similar scandal, said the DA caucus leader Cilliers Brink.