To address the ongoing crisis of hijacked and abandoned buildings in Johannesburg, public works deputy minister Sihle Zikalala has called for the buildings to be expropriated without compensation.
Zikalala’s remarks amid a co-ordinated effort to reclaim these properties for public use, particularly to address the housing crisis in the city.
“Those hijacked and abandoned buildings in Joburg can be used for public purposes, such as low-cost housing for South Africans, restoring dignity for our people through the Expropriation Act,” said Zikalala.
The deputy minister’s call follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent urging of the provincial government to make use of the Expropriation Act to address the issue of abandoned and illegally occupied buildings in the city.
The president made these remarks during his two-day visit to Johannesburg’s central business district (CBD) ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit in November.
Zikalala emphasised the broader vision behind the president’s initiative.
“The programme of the president is conducted under the district development concept, which seeks to revitalise local municipalities through co-ordination and enforcement of shared services at a district level,” Zikalala told Newzroom Afrika.
Johannesburg’s landscape has been marred by dilapidated buildings, many of which were left vacant after industries relocated their offices to more affluent suburbs like Sandton.
“Like many cities, Johannesburg is affected by dilapidated buildings, which were left by industries when they moved to nearby suburbs. Some of the buildings that are illegally occupied were previously owned by big companies that have since relocated,” said Zikalala.
These vacant and hijacked properties have posed significant risks to the communities that occupy them.
“All of those buildings are causing a higher risk and they are hazardous to communities who are living there,” said Zikalala. He noted that many of the buildings are now overcrowded, further increasing safety hazards.
Zikalala says expropriating these properties is a necessary step towards addressing Johannesburg’s urban decay.
“We strongly believe that these are the buildings that should be the start of expropriation. This gives meaning to the aims and objectives of the Expropriation Act. We have agreed with the provincial government, the municipality, and the president that these buildings should be identified and expropriated through the act,” he said.
While the government has committed to addressing the issue of illegal occupations, Zikalala acknowledged the challenges posed by legal frameworks.
“The law says if people have occupied a building for more than 24 hours, and the owner has not applied for eviction, we must provide an alternative. It doesn't say the government must build for them,” he said.
Zikalala said the expropriation initiative will require collaboration among various government departments and that alternative accommodations should be provided for South Africans who are relocated, while illegal foreign nationals face repatriation.
“We need a country governed by law, where departments and spheres of government collaborate in the enforcement of that law.”