JOHANNESBURG CBD FIRE Challenges with hijacked housing

• Published date: 02 September 2023
• Publication title: Independent on Saturday

Later in the day, the immediate responses of those grabbing such attention started calming down. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s, correct call was that it is a wake-up call for all of us. That we need an all-of-society approach to address such issues is an important starting point. And the Premier’s Com- mittee of Inquiry will hopefully provide us with a vehicle within which we can collectively unpack not only the immediate causes of this fire and the tragedy that resulted, but how we can address the very complex causes that have created such circumstances

Fortuitously, on the day this tragedy happened, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala opened an important meeting of built environment professionals and academics to work on strategies to create more resilient and sustainable built environments. Organised by one of his entities, the Council of the Built Environment, the deliberations show clearly that we not only have the complex challenges above ground (such as updating building regulations), but also challenges below ground such as ensuring our built environment is structurally safe and sound (for example, changing the codes and formulae used to decide how our stormwater system can deal with run-off). We need a whole-of-society response to ensure that we work towards sustainability in meeting the challenges of climate variability, pandemics, emergencies and disasters.

The problem of hijacked and overcrowded buildings in Johannesburg is multifaceted and an intricate issue that involves various social, economic, legal, and political factors. Understanding the complexity of this issue requires an examination of several key aspects.

The first reality is that there is no quick-fix solution, and it will take us decades to rid ourselves of the historical legacy of apartheid and forced removals, which has contributed to urban inequality, creating an environment where hijacked buildings can thrive. Many people who were previously disenfranchised were forcibly removed and have been left without proper housing and access to economic opportunities.

With the dawn of democracy, many left their homes to occupy abandoned or neglected buildings. In many cases, work seekers found shelters leading to a growth of over 35% in the number of 1-2 person households in Gauteng as a whole, with most of these people having no other option but to find shelter in informal settlements, backyard shacks and abandoned buildings. Of course, in these circumstances, they...