NOMINATIONS for the prestigious Halala Joburg Awards, which honour people and projects that strive to improve the quality of life in the inner city, are open. They close on 30 March.
The annual awards, hosted by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), recognise private sector investors and developers who are redeveloping and building inner city properties. Projects are also rewarded.
“As we celebrate five years since the inception of the Halala Joburg Awards, we will continue to seek out, acknowledge and celebrate those who foster innovation, investment and regeneration in the inner city,” commented Thanduxolo Mendrew, the JDA’s acting chief executive officer. “I would like to encourage small and medium developers to participate in this recognition programme.”
The awards, which are open to individuals and projects, are not limited to companies, from micro to multinational; consortiums; public-private partnerships; joint ventures; non-governmental organisations; community-based and faith based organisations; or their individual representatives.
Individuals can nominate themselves. To make a nomination, download the trigger form. There are seven categories, which can be read online, along with the criteria for entry, the terms and conditions. All nominations must meet specific criteria. The awards are limited to projects in Region F, the inner city, and must have made a substantial difference to the City’s regeneration efforts.
Nomination process
The trigger forms must be completed by the nominator and must contain his or her contact details. If these details are incorrect, the form will not go into the application process. If the trigger form is successful, an application form will be sent to the nominee, followed by an email or SMS once the application is received.
The Halala Joburg Awards aim to encourage efforts to build sustainable and inclusive renewal projects that recognise roles and relationships between the private and public sectors. Between 2001 and 2008, total private sector investment in key JDA area-based initiatives – measured by property transactions – was R7,5-billion, against total JDA investment of R393-million.
This is also one of the reasons that the JDA’s investment in various townships has increased almost 30 percent of total funding. Now in the fifth year, the Halala Joburg Awards promise to be bigger and better than in previous years.
Established in 2008, the awards help meet the City’s goal of regenerating the inner city. Nominees undergo a rigorous process before making it on to the short list. Each project is thoroughly assessed by an industry-related adjudication panel.
The panel this year is made up of Mendrew; Nopasika Lila, the chief financial officer of the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund, who will chair the awards; Anne Steffny, the director of The Central Johannesburg Partnership; Yasmeen Dinath, a town and regional planner; Nkosinathi Manzana, a director and the head of development management at Standard Bank Real Estate Investments; Sharon Lewis, the executive manager for planning and strategy at the JDA; and Zahira Asmal, the founder and managing director of Designing South Africa and Designing Brazil.
Source: Joburg.org.za