Africa-Press – South-Africa. Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda says the City’s Group Forensics and Investigation Services (GFIS) has 188 active cases involving hijacked buildings before it.
Gwamanda spoke before the 22nd Extraordinary Sitting of the Council on Tuesday.
The meeting was meant to be heard on Thursday but was adjourned because of the devastating fire, which has thus far killed 77 people.
Of the 188 cases, 167 buildings are privately owned. The City owns 13 and other spheres of government the remainder.
Gwamanda said while he was grappling with the tragedy, “I wonder how the City of Johannesburg left its assets to ruin”.
He added the fire pointed to significant government and management shortcomings.
“Consequence management will be meted out.”
Gwamanda said the City would hold those responsible to account, adding it would adopt a “precinct-based” programme to investigate the problem of hijacked or bad buildings.
He added they would start with an inventory of the buildings in Johannesburg and the City would prioritise alternative and temporary accommodations.
“I speak for the Government of Local Unity [the coalition between the ANC, EFF and PA] when I say as council, we will learn from this event and ensure such tragedies do not happen again.”
Former mayor Herman Mashaba raised the issue of hijacked buildings in December 2016 and started the Inner City Rejuvenation Programme, where hijacked City owned properties were given to the private sector to create affordable accommodation.
When he stepped down in October 2019, the City had identified 600 hijacked buildings on the GFIS list.
The Usindiso building, which burned on Thursday morning, was on this list, but it was not part of the 154 sites expropriated for the private sector.
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