By 
The Free State government has put up 16 prime properties to be developed and or sold to potential investors. The aim of the move is to grow the economy of the province and create jobs.
According to the Free State Premier Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, the province hosted a Property Investment Summit last year in November, where potential investors were sold to attractive opportunities in the property sector with a variety of development models.
Letsoha-Mathae said the 16 properties include the Macufe Site, Jim Fouche Resort, vacant land on the N8, vacant land next to the Free State University, Kopano Complex in Welkom and Naledi Sun. She said opportunities on the properties up for grabs include various development models such as Build, Operate, Transfer; and Refurbish, Transfer.
“We are now busy with Phase 2 implementation, which entails the registration of PPP with National Treasury and conducting feasibility studies to determine which properties can be advertised in a short period.
The valuation of these properties has been completed, and a competitive bidding process will be concluded this year. Repurposing these properties will transform our urban spaces and stimulate economic growth,” said Letsoha- Mathae.
The Premier said her administration will look at ways of saving costs and review their leasing agreements with privately owned properties. She said the Executive Council (EXCO) has resolved to undertake a comprehensive review of all existing lease agreements for government office accommodation across the province.
She said the decision arises from growing concerns that a number of the properties do not fully comply with occupational health and safety standards, yet they continue to incur substantial rental costs for their use. She said public funds must not be utilised to sustain non-compliant private infrastructure.
“In this regard, we are exploring the possibility of building a government precinct that will consolidate departments into facilities that meet regulatory requirements and ensure long-term value for money.
We are embarking on a process to relocate officials of the Department of Health from privately owned facilities to Universitas Academic Hospital as part of our broader strategy to reduce reliance on private leases and improve overall compliance with occupational and safety standards,” said the Premier.
“Furthermore, we have resolved that the offices of the Xhariep District for the Department of Education must be relocated from Bloemfontein to Xhariep. This relocation must be concluded within the next few months. It is both morally and practically indefensible to expect residents of Xhariep to travel outside their own district to access essential services. Government services must be brought closer to the people,” continued MaQueen Letsoha- Mathae.
