Massive project will lead to the rise of the southAugust 20, 2003 From
south-africa official website
SOWETO(acroynm for South West Township) - a township of contrasting images from sprawling, poverty-stricken wasteland to a cosmopolitan, vibrant locale - is to be reinvented into a viable centre of cultural and commercial activity.
Parts of the township are set to undergo a major facelift as the much heralded but long-delayed Baralink project finally gets underway, with work beginning on the upgrading of the Baragwanath taxi rank along the Old Potchefstroom Road.
The development, which has been 10 years in the making, promises to turn the Baragwanath Precinct into a major commercial hub, complete with shopping malls and mixed-income residential areas.
Parks Tau, councillor responsible for Development Planning, Transportation and Environment in the City of Johannesburg, ascribes the delay to the sheer magnitude of the project and the technicalities involved. "It is a massive project which had to go through various processes and involved many role players. We received numerous proposals from the private sector and had to adjudicate on the viability of the proposals. The response from developers has been overwhelming."
But Tau is confident the project is now set to take off. "We experienced some hiccups along the way, but the project is definitely gaining momentum. I'm fairly confident we are beginning to see progress. The project needed a catalyst of sorts." This catalyst has come in the form of the taxi rank development, Tau says.
The major advantage of the area covered by Baralink is it is "situated on the main thoroughfare, Old Potchefstroom Road, two kilometres from the Western bypass, with easy access to the Johannesburg freeway grid, close to massive taxi ranks, adjacent to the Nancefield railway station, near the hospital and police station, and with very high visibility", according to a council report.
Soweto is an area with a huge buying power, yet historically it has been removed from economic developments. This project will link Soweto to the city centre and, for Tau, will be a catalyst in "dispelling the myth that you can't have commercial activity in Soweto. The area is home to a third of Joburg residents you know."
The programme underscores the City's desire to redress the skewed development of Joburg, which has seen resources being pumped into the northern suburbs at the expense of the south, Tau says. "We are passionate about this project. We want to see Soweto becoming a centre of commercial activity."
Punted as "the gateway to Soweto", the area currently boasts a massive public transport interchange node, a disused power station, an under-utilised dam, an informal settlement, hordes of informal traders, a university and three hospitals.
Initiated in 1994, the Baralink Development Framework is an ambitious and comprehensive plan to utilise the vast tracts of land surrounding the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
The programme proposes the upgrading of the Baragwanath taxi rank, the clearing of the nearby informal settlement, the provision of mixed-income housing, developing open spaces, and putting the nearby Orlando Power Station to productive use.
"This is a
multi-billion rand project which includes the provision of infrastructure, sewer, bulk electricity and reticulation," explains William Bila, assistant Director for the greater Soweto area and project coordinator. "It is mostly driven by the private sector and the City will mainly provide the necessary infrastructure and impetus to attract investment."
The area covered by Baralink has now been demarcated into 15 land parcels, earmarked for different types of developments, says Bila.
The nucleus of the development will be the Orlando Dam Precinct, a site "comprising 41 hectares, with appropriate space for building all the centre's facilities without compromise to the environment", says Bila. To the south are a further 30 hectares of undeveloped Council-owned land available for future expansion.
Recent developments suggest that plan is at last taking off, albeit in fits and starts. These include:
* The establishment of a "steering committee" to coordinate the Baralink
developments
* The current work being done on realigning Potchefstroom Road towards
the hospital and the upgrading of the taxi rank
*The City is in the process of buying the Putco bus depot. The depot will be used to house Region 10 offices and as a "point of entry" for visitors to Soweto
*The work being done on rehabilitating the Klipriver wetlands
*The preservation of the Vista Koppies, the area between the university and the teachers college, reputed to have indigenous plants with medicinal properties
*The building of a satellite Fresh Produce Market
*The rehabilitation of the sewer treatment works in the south of the project area to link up the Orlando Dam, Vista Koppies and Kliptown golf course to form a comprehensive open space system
But the flagship of the development, which is expected to alter the landscape and ambience of the area, will be the shopping mall and penthouses around Power Park, to be undertaken by African Professional Consortium (APC). The R500-million project will be developed over five years, with the first phase to be completed within 18 months, says Peter Malefane, architect and head of the consortium.
According to Malefane, APC has already conducted market research and lined up tenants for the housing units. The company is only waiting for the site to be proclaimed a township before construction begins.
The complex will be unique among shopping malls. "It will be a meeting place where people engage in social activities, including sport, music festivals and open air theatre. It will offer a lot more than shops," Malefane explains. Targeted at the middle-class, the upmarket complex will be designed to be visually attractive.
Malefane describes Soweto as an area "with a tourism vibe, but it is under-designed to cater for the tourism market". But APC hopes to draw the upwardly mobile professionals back to the township. "Our plan is to build a shopping complex, a museum and an open auditorium linked to the Orlando Dam," Malefane explains. "We will also convert one of the power station towers into a convention centre."
The second phase of the project will consist of light industry development, rental housing, offices, hotels, a convention centre, an entertainment resort and an IT harbour.
Malefane expresses regret that many politicians had moved out of the township. "Had they stayed, their presence would have accelerated development."
Contracts have also been awarded to Thebe Housing and Safuan to build houses in the area. People currently staying at the nearby Elias Motsoaledi informal settlement will be relocated to make way for this development.
Thabo Maisela, manager of strategic support for the City's Region 10, says the local community is constantly informed about developments. "We strive to consult the community on an ongoing basis through ward committees which call public meetings to give feedback. We have also been consulting with hawkers from the Baragwanath taxi rank and with residents of Elias Motsoaledi informal settlement."
The Baralink Project is also designed to benefit empowerment companies. Apart from the major contractors, all of whom boast strong empowerment credentials, the projects are expected to benefit locals by providing jobs for smaller local companies and individuals.
Baralink promises to be more than just another development programme. Even as the first bricks are being laid, ideas keep streaming in. "The FNB Stadium offers an opportunity for developing activity around sports. The 2010 bid committee has indicated they are keen in establishing the FNB as a catalyst for developing the area around the stadium," Maisela reveals.
The success of the programme will be considered by many to be a vindication of the public-private partnership.
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