The clean up of the Durban city centre has begun.
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said the municipality is determined to find permanent solutions to the challenge of bad buildings in the city.
Mayor Xaba said the leadership of eThekwini Municipality welcomed engagement with the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson.
They have agreed to work together to find permanent solutions to the challenge of bad buildings in the city.
“In line with our vision to become the most caring and liveable city, the revitalisation and rehabilitation of our CBD is crucial if we are to attract investment into the city. The CBD is the heartbeat of Durban and it must reflect this vision,” said Mr Xaba.
“It is for this reason that we have embarked on an inner-city regeneration programme which focuses on bad buildings, public space management and enforcement of by-laws. Our view as eThekwini Municipality is that we can’t talk about rejuvenation of the city without addressing the issue of bad buildings.”
So far, the mayor said the municipality has identified 76 buildings which are derelict, abandoned, hijacked and overcrowded.
Of these, 58 are privately owned and 18 are government owned buildings and this is where they require the intervention of the minister. What they have also discovered is that 16 of these buildings have been hijacked and illegally occupied, the mayor added.
Since the programme begun, the municipality has seen:
• 12 buildings refurbished by owners
• 11 demolitions, including the Chinese Emporium Building which is currently being demolished.
• Seven hijacked buildings returned to owners
• Seven buildings currently undergoing repairs
This success can be attributed to the ongoing engagements with property owners and the efforts by officials who have not hesitated to institute legal action to those who were not cooperating, said Mr Xaba.
“Last year, the council approved the display of building wraps on declared problem buildings. This was to assist the property owners to generate income from advertising in order to settle arrears rates and services and to pay for refurbishments of the building. Some buildings have been identified where artists are using murals to beautify these structures,” said Mr Xaba.
“This approach fits perfectly with our goal of rejuvenating the inner-city to attract investment. Once buildings have been refurbished and re-purposed, we can generate revenue from them. Our aim is to work with all stakeholders to rebuild the city so that it remains the premier destination for investment and tourism.”
On Tuesday, August 27, Mr Xaba lauded the police for collaborating with the municipality to clamp down on crime and grime in the inner-city.
This follows a multidisciplinary law enforcement operation which resulted in the arrest of over 120 illegal immigrants.The operation focused on illegally occupied, hijacked and derelict buildings.
“We want to commend all law enforcement agencies, led by Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for this initiative. These operations will be ongoing until our residents, investors and visitors in the inner-city and the Point precinct feel safe,” said Mr Xaba.
“Furthermore, we have taken a decision to recruit 400 Metro Police personnel annually to reach the target of 5000 which will increase police visibility across the city. We are also investing in smart policing where we are deploying state-of-the-art technology to prevent crime.”
