The City of Tshwane has confirmed offering its abandoned City Hall as a possible site for a permanent Iranian cultural complex.
The historic building has been non-operational for nearly a decade and requires a substantial R200 million in repairs.
Tshwanes City Hall could become an Iranian cultural centreIn a statement on Friday 25 July, the City said the Iranian embassy in Pretoria formally submitted a proposal to establish the complex in a letter dated 9 May.
The letter outlined the embassys vision for a facility that would include a museum, library, restaurant, cinema , and handcraft shops, and requested that the City consider allocating land or a building for this purpose, Member of Mayoral Committee MMC for Corporate and Shared Services Kholofelo Morodi said.
The City subsequently offered several potential sites to the embassy for consideration, including the City Hall, which was clearly identified as a protected public asset that is unequivocally not for sale.
A site visit was conducted on 28 May 2025 with representatives of the embassy, who were shown the City Hall building and its surrounding precinct, Morodi added.
The embassy subsequently submitted a request to inspect additional potential sites.
To be clear, no discussions have taken place regarding the mechanics of any potential arrangement such as lease terms, funding models or final site selection. These interactions remain entirely exploratory, with no commitments made by either party, Morodi emphasised.
However, the Democratic Alliance DA has cautioned that any agreement with the embassy must be thoroughly debated in council before a decision is made.
The partys Tshwane caucus leader, Cilliers Brink, cited Iran governments close and direct relationship with the African National Congress ANC.