Joburg CBD fire: City officials launch mission to keep buildings safe, avoid another disaster

City of Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Mgcini Tshwaku and Kenny Kunene, the MMC for Transport, launched their operations this weekend by assessing a number of dilapidated and hijacked buildings in the city centre. Picture: SCREENSHOT

City of Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Mgcini Tshwaku and Kenny Kunene, the MMC for Transport, launched their operations this weekend by assessing a number of dilapidated and hijacked buildings in the city centre. Picture: SCREENSHOT

Published Sep 4, 2023

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City of Johannesburg Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) Mgcini Tshwaku and Kenny Kunene have joined forces and portfolios to launch a joint operation called #ManjeNamhlanje and #OperationRestore in an effort to ensure all buildings are kept safe in the city centre.

MMC for Public Safety, Tshwaku and Kunene, the MMC for Transport, along with a number of their team members, went around the city centre on Saturday assessing the buildings that have been “hijacked”.

In South Africa, the term hijacked building relates to a government or privately-owned building that had been left abandoned and in a poor condition, but eventually taken over by criminal gangs who lease out space in the dilapidated building to desperate homeless people and foreign nationals with no place to stay.

The MMC’s joint operation was triggered by the devastating fire that ripped through one of the hijacked buildings in the city centre, leaving over 70 dead, including children who were burnt beyond recognition.

The tragic incident took place last Thursday, in the early hours of the morning when residents of the building were trapped inside the dilapidated, unventilated five-storey building.

“We are closing these unsafe structures under joint operation #ManjeNamhlanje and #OperationRestore. We understand the risks involved, but we refuse to accept accusations of incompetence and failure. The time for action is now. We urge everyone to seek safety in the designated shelters,” said Tshwaku.

— Cmsr Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, PhD (@MTshwaku) September 2, 2023

"Today we are just going in to inspect. We will be back with evictions and evacuations. NGO or no NGO, Seri (Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa) or no Seri. People have died. Now we are going to make sure that we end the loss of life. We are removing people from buildings that EMS has said are unsafe, inhabitable, and a health hazard," Kunene said.

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