Jackson buys House and eyes the Garden for zoo
Thursday, 01-Apr-99 07:20:10
Pop superstar Michael Jackson and President Nelson Mandela concluded one of South Africa's biggest entertainment deals last night when they announced that Jackson is to buy the city's Houses of Parliament for R5 billion.
The deal has taken months of top-secret negotiations and comes as proof that the government aims to move Parliament to Pretoria.
"I am very pleased to be able to tell you of this," Mandela said. "You know my party has been worried that moving Parliament will mean the end of our presence in this province, but now we are able to give you something that will more than make up for the loss."
Jackson is to team up with entertainment king Sol Kerzner to build a luxury entertainment centre in the Parliament complex that will rival Kerzner's own creation at Sun City.
"The emotion and pride in these buildings can't be bought anywhere else in the world," Jackson's spokesperson said. "Michael is delighted to reclaim this part of his heritage and he promises the African people that the character of this historic place will not be lost."
Although plans for the new complex have not been finalised, Jackson's spokesperson said the centrepiece would be main debating chamber in the National Assembly hall, which would be converted into a replica of an Elizabethan playhouse. The audiences will sit in the seats now occupied by backbenchers and the actors will perform in the centre.
The old assembly buildings will be turned into a luxury hotel and Jackson himself will take up residence in Mandela's quarters in Tuynhuys. The buildings at 120 Plein Street will become self-catering accommodation for visitors unable to afford more exclusive accommodation. Other buildings in the complex will be demolished to make space for a "record-size" venue for concerts and sport events.
"This is just the beginning," Jackson's statement said. "We have many surprises up our sleeves. You won't be disappointed."
The bulk of the deal was finalised during Jackson's visit to the city last week, but Mandela asked that the announcement be postponed until he had consulted with his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki is said to be delighted with the outcome and has labelled the development "the start of the African renaissance".
The only sticking point in the deal is the fate of the Company Garden.
"Michael would like to take over the gardens to turn them into a home for his personal menagerie," said an insider who asked not to be named, "but the government is worried about the public's reaction."
Cape Town's city council is said to support this move as it is struggling to maintain the Garden, but the government knows it will be unpopular, coming at the same time as the loss of Parliament.
Jackson and Kerzner have launched a contest for the development's name. "It must capture the merging of African and American cultures," said Jackson's statement. The prize will be two weeks in the presidential suite of the new hotel. Entries can be sent to: Name Contest, Box 11, Cape Town 8000.
Judith Soal(Cap Times,South Africa)