CBD slums to studios? Abandoned buildings to be given to young entrepreneurs – Joburg mayor

Newly elected Joburg mayor, Dada Morero, announced on Sunday that the city is eyeing abandoned buildings in the inner city as part of an ambitious plan to tackle youth unemployment and rampant crime.

The ANC regional chair was voted in for a second stint as mayor on 16 August following years of chaotic coalitions which chipped away at the City of Gold’s infrastructure.

Following in the footsteps of  Kabelo Gwamanda, Morero faces the herculean task of addressing the myriad of crippling municipal failures plaguing the country’s commercial capital.

Jeppestown building fire: Dada Morero visits Joburg CBD

The former Johannesburg MMC for finance addressed the media on Sunday, 25 August outside the Jeppestown building which was ravaged by a fire earlier in the morning.

The blaze, which claimed the lives of four people, comes a year after the devastating Usindiso building fire in Marshalltown during which 77 people died in August 2023.

Morero said all those left displaced by the Jeppestown building fire will be moved to a safe area.    

“By law, we are required to keep the safety of all those that are affected, and then we take them to the right places and profile them. On the basis of those who are undocumented, it’s a matter that we hand over to the Department of Home Affairs.”

“You shouldn’t think that this is just a simple solution; there are a lot of syndicates involved. You need law enforcement agencies to help you investigate. The city alone does not have the necessary capacity to deal with this thing.”

ALSO READ: Three injured, one killed in separate fire incidents in Joburg

Expropriation of abandoned buildings in Joburg inner city

Morero then went on to explain the city’s plan to expropriate abandoned CBD buildings in an effort to help tackle unemployment and crime in the inner city.

“This is also about resources that we must mobilise through the national government and other institutions like the PIC to see how they can support young people,” he said.

“There is a principle already. We are going to take these buildings – some we will expropriate immediately and hand over to young entrepreneurs to turn them into residential space and commercial spaces.

“So, that decision is there, it’s just a matter of the process in which we are going to implement the decision,” added Morero.

Call for more boots on the ground

The new mayor also called on law enforcement to put more boots on the ground to stem the tide of criminal activities thriving in the urban decay of the area.

“A lot of criminal activity was taking place in this building because they saw a lot of different groups going in and out of the building with bags of artillery…serious guns. It’s something that law enforcement agencies need to come help and bring strong raids inside these buildings.

“We believe that if the resources within the SAPS are channelled correctly and we can partner with our JMPD building control and inspectors, we may be able to make a dent in as far as this matter is concerned,” Morero said.

He however added that if these concerted efforts fail to yield results in the next six months, the city will approach the national government to request its intervention.

NOW READ: Dire living conditions exposed in Joburg’s inner city