‘Residents should feel safe in the CBD’: Joburg mayor’s office to relocate to Usindiso building

City of Johannesburg (COJ) Mayor Dada Morero has announced plans to move his executive mayoral office from its current location in Braamfontein to the Usindiso building in Marshalltown.

Morero said this move comes as part of the city’s project called ‘Inner City Rejuvenation’.

The announcement, on Friday, came in the wake of a significant tragedy that occurred at the building last year.

Usindiso building fire

On 31 August 2023, a fire engulfed the Usindiso building, a five-storey structure that had been illegally occupied.

The incident resulted in 77 fatalities. The building was under the authority of the Johannesburg Property Company and owned by the city.

The fire sparked widespread discussions about hijacked buildings in Johannesburg’s city centre, with many pointing to issues of poor service delivery and criminal activity.

At the time of the fire, residents were allegedly paying rent to unknown “landlords”.

ALSO READ: Usindiso building blaze inquiry: Witness’ testimony highlights safety violations

Morero’s perspective on the relocation to Usindiso building

Speaking to eNCA, Morero explained the rationale behind the move.

“When we took a decision, we had resolved to develop a project called Inner City Rejuvenation, which is basically trying to reclaim the inner city of Johannesburg,” he said.

The mayor emphasised that the relocation was intended to place city leadership directly in the centre of the inner city’s challenges.

Moreover, Morero stated that the goal is to experience the daily issues faced by residents firsthand.

“We thought it’s important that we, especially the executive mayor and this mayoral team, occupy a building right at the centre of the problems in the inner city,” he explained.

Morero added that the intention was to be present and responsive to the challenges in the area.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Roughly 100 families live inside this dilapidated Johannesburg building

Usindiso renovation might be finished mid-2025

The mayor addressed concerns about safety, stating, “The task is to ensure that every citizen, every resident, every business person, every property owner should feel safe in the inner city.”

He emphasised the importance of law enforcement and crime prevention.

Additionally, Morero indicated that renovations to the Usindiso building are expected to be completed between June and July 2025.

The relocation is planned to occur once these renovations are finished. He believes that being physically present in the building will enable quicker responses to local challenges.

When asked about his confidence in the safety of this decision, given the building’s history, Morero stated that it was the executive mayor’s responsibility to improve the city.

“It will actually help us to see the challenges on a day-to-day basis,” Morero said.

“Whether it’s safety issues, cleanliness issues. All the issues that are there in the inner city must [be] experience[d],” he added.

He expressed hope that this approach would allow for more immediate action on urban problems.

NOW READ: WATCH: Inside burnt Joburg CBD building ‘used as an informal settlement’