Concerns grow over illegally occupied Joburg buildings following deadly fire

Concerns have grown over the illegal occupation of dilapidated buildings in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ).

On Wednesday night, a hijacked building in Hillbrow caught fire, resulting in the deaths of at least two children.

It is unclear what caused the fire, but the municipality is expected to give a detailed report on Thursday.

City mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, who was on the scene moments after the incident, said the condition of the building did not meet the health and safety standards of the city.

The illegal occupation of shabby buildings is nothing new to Johannesburg and has been a thorn in the side of the city’s leaders for many years.

The latest attempt to address this issue was overseen by councillor Kenny Kunene in his two-day stint as acting mayor, but it seemingly didn’t bring the desired outcome.

Gwamanda said the building that caught fire on Thursday night was previously declared unfit for habitation, which didn’t stop it from being illegally occupied.

He said despite the declaration, the occupants were at an increased risk because there were no safety standards in the building.

Gwamanda requested the city’s social departments to find temporary relief measures to assist those who were affected by the fire.

-EWN

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