The Citizen reports that the Bank of Lisbon building that previously housed the Gauteng health department in central Johannesburg will be turned into a heap of rubble in November.  

But it will be rebuilt as part of a multibillion-rand project to renew government buildings in the City of Joburg.  The building was gutted by a fire that claimed the lives of three firefighters and injured several others in September last year.  Gauteng executive committee member for infrastructure development and property management, Tasneem Motara, advised on Wednesday that the building was damaged beyond repair.  A contractor has been engaged to implode the charred remains.  Motara said the building would be rebuilt as part of her department’s ambitious five-year Kopanong Precinct development project to rebuild and refurbish 18 buildings in the city to house various government departments.  The project is a public-private partnership and is expected to mobilise R10 billion through investment.  It is hoped it will also contribute to the renewal of the Joburg central business district (CBD).  The MEC said the other buildings identified for the project would be refurbished, with a few changes.

• Read the full original of the above report by Eric Naki at The Citizen

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