The building at the corner of Third and Fourth Avenues, in the CBD, will soon be demolished.
Known as the ‘Driehoek Spar’, the building has been vacant for about five years.
The community were up in arms after the building’s roof and other features were stripped and removed.
The building then became a haven for vagrants, prostitutes and drug dealers, and later an illegal dumping site.
Two years ago, the Springs branch of Afriforum decided to put pressure on the Ekurhuleni Metro to take action and do something about the building.
They felt the dilapidated building did not belong in Springs.
According to Richardt Lubbe from Afriforum, they received complaints not only from Afriforum members, but also from the community.
He claims the pressure they put on the municipality, resulted in the metro allegedly lodging an application at the Johannesburg High Court asking the building’s owner to demolish the unsightly structure, and to clean up the rubble afterwards.
The court reportedly granted the application on March 31.
It is believed the request also stipulates that, if the owner fails to do so, the sheriff of the court will carry out the demolition.
Lubbe says if the owner fails to give the order within 10 days, they will make sure the metro instructs the sheriff to demolish the building.
A private contractor will probably be appointed by the sheriff and the metro, to manage the demolition.
“It is most likely that the land will be sold on auction,” says Lubbe.
Comment requested from the metro was not received at the time of going to press.
