CoJ in court battle over hijacked Braamfontein building it owns
Last month, a group of private property investors filed a notice of motion against the City of Joburg, forcing the city to enact its own by-laws regarding the Casa Mia building in Braamfontein.
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Johannesburg is being taken to task over a building it owns that’s been hijacked and cast into ruin.
Last month, a group of private property investors filed a notice of motion against the City of Joburg, forcing the city to enact its own by-laws regarding the Casa Mia building in Braamfontein.
The building has been hijacked for years and remains an eye-sore for tenants from neighbouring buildings.
CEO of Jozi Housing, Peter Day, is one of three applicants in a High Court battle with the City of Joburg regarding one of their own buildings which has been hijacked.
The Casa Mia building on Soper Road in Braamfontein has been described as a disaster waiting to happen, where frequent gunshots are often heard emanating from.
Day owns the building next to Casa Mia and says the state of the hijacked building has severely impacted his business.
"Because the building is not managed, the sewer becomes blocked and the sewer from the building pours out into the street. Our tenants then have to walk through sewer on the street in order to get into the building and this severely affects our business."
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda told Eyewitness News the issue of hijacked buildings in the inner city was a growing concern.
"To a large extent, I don’t know if disappointment sums it up from the private sector, in terms of the political will required from us to restore the city to what it’s supposed to be."
There are 188 hijacked buildings in Joburg’s inner city, 17 of which belong to the city.
