The campaign is also aimed at achieving one of the City’s Vision 2040 key objectives – increasing economic growth, accelerating prosperity and improving the quality of life of its residents. 

 

Sizwe Mafunga, of the City’s Land and Property Unit, which operates under Member of the Mayoral Committee Ruby Mathang’s Economic Development portfolio, said that in addition to the rejuvenation of the city, the unit has been charged with the responsibility of enhancing economic development.

 

“We also aim to improve the city’s revenue streams by restoring all properties to active rate-paying status, convert all properties under illegal occupation to legal tenancy, restore abandoned properties to legal title and restore private sector confidence in the city to stimulate the necessary investment,” said Mafunga.

 

The City has a portfolio of about 200 buildings it owns in the inner city that fall under the category of “bad buildings”. A process is already under way to identify properties that have been abandoned by their original owners taken over by slumlords.

 

Mafunga said the council was extremely concerned about the squalid conditions many of these buildings were in. “It is the city’s aim and objective to renovate these buildings and help people to live in habitable conditions,” said Mafunga. 

 

As part of the inner city renewal programme, plans are under way to complete a new housing development in Berea, which will comprise 122 units. Another development, in Novena Court, Hillbrow has been completed. It consists of 150 units. Mafunga said although there were still some buildings being illegally occupied, the city was winning the fight against the scourge. 

 

The council is encouraging up-and-coming property developers to come together and form single companies to ensure excellent workmanship. Illegal occupation of disused buildings has always been a problem for the city because it cannot recoup tariffs from occupants as they are not in the city’s database.

 

Mafunga said the City had in many cases experienced difficulties in seizing control of some of the buildings because of legal action launched by the owners. 

 

“Sometimes it becomes a protracted legal wrangle, which can take up to six years before the case can be finalised, especially in situations where the owners cannot be traced only to resurface when we move in to renovate the building,” Mafunga said.