Decay deepens at Joburg’s abandoned Metro Centre (PICS)

The City of Joburg’s Metro Centre in Braamfontein has been abandoned while office files, furniture and equipment – some still being paid for in costly leases – has been left behind.

Civic activists say this situation highlights the fact that the city’s infrastructure is crumbling and its leadership is failing.

When The Citizen visited the building recently, we were turned away by aggressive security guards who were employed after the empty building was invaded a few weeks ago by squatters.

Metro Centre invaded by squatters

The building surrounds were picture of neglect, with broken paving and smashed windows a motif of the decay.

City of Joburg mayor Dada Morero announced this week that the premises “will undergo extensive refurbishment through a public-private partnership”.

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The 50-year-old Metro Centre building has been declared inhabitable and in violation of several regulations and Acts.

Morero said R3.2 billion will be spent to refurbish the structure.

ActionSA in the city said in December last year, when staff began relocating to rented buildings, that “all departments abandoned their office equipment, including furniture, copiers and IT assets.

Staff relocated to rented buildings

“The City of Joburg failed to ensure that these items were secured and moved to a safe environment for future use. This is a disgraceful failure of governance and resource management.

“What is more shocking is that the city is paying for leased copiers abandoned at the Metro Centre. This is an outrageous misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

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The building, which once housed all the city council offices and officials, has been empty and neglected for four months.

It is metres away from where President Cyril Ramaphosa recently addressed Gauteng provincial leadership and the city’s leadership on the decaying state of the city at the council chambers.

Mark Heywood, a steering committee member of the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance, said: “Since the closure, Joburg officials have been scattered across different buildings citywide, paying exorbitant rents while becoming less accessible to the public.

Essential documentation and furniture remain inside

“On top of that, essential documentation and furniture remain inside the building. It’s sheer recklessness,” he said.

The Metro Centre was closed due to noncompliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other regulations. But Heywood indicated that it had been left to deteriorate further.

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“The situation has been exacerbated by a complete lack of security.

“The Metro Centre has been raided by homeless people. Allowing infrastructure to decline to this level is unacceptable.”

Regional manager of JoburgCAN Julia Fish said the Metro Centre’s decline reflects broader maintenance and budgetary mismanagement.

Broader maintenance and budgetary mismanagement

“For example, the Metro Centre’s closure resulted in a revenue loss of R500 000 because building plans could no longer be sold and another R1.2 million was lost on geo-information services sales.

“The cost of fixing the Metro Centre has now ballooned beyond what it would cost to construct a new building. Residents need to ask whether this is by design.

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“If Johannesburg continues on this trajectory, it will face significant economic decline and potential collapse.”