Hijacked buildings: CoJ accused of 'kicking can down the road', resulting in dangerous living conditions

JOHANNESBURG - Dangerous living conditions at hijacked buildings in Johannesburg’s inner city have been cited as a worrying factor that needs urgent attention, as it places many lives at risk.

The city has identified about 188 bad and hijacked buildings within the central business district (CBD), 17 of which belong to the state.

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In the past year, more than 80 people have lost their lives after three hijacked buildings in the inner city caught alight.

Property attorney Greg Vermaak said the City of Johannesburg is slow to act in providing temporary emergency accommodation for illegal occupiers of buildings within the inner city.

“What the city does, they just attempt to kick the can down the road. And the thing that worries me is that many of these buildings that the city don’t provide TEA to are intrinsically dangerous.”

Human Settlements executive director at the City of Joburg, Patrick Phophi said the temporary emergency accommodation programme was underfunded.

“We don’t have a specific budget for temporary emergency accommodation, purely because we have to apply for that budget from national.”

To date, the City of Joburg has never made an application to the National Human Settlements Department, despite the national housing code making it clear that municipalities and metros must make an application if they require additional funds.