Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure Dean MacPherson and eThekwini Mayor Sirikar Zama unveiled the plans to tackle unsafe buildings at a press conference. Photo: Supplied
MaMinister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean MacPherson and eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba are forming a joint technical task team to tackle Durban's “bad buildings”.
Mayor MacPherson told reporters on Monday that he “want to help” revitalize Shaba.
“The key to the success of this Government of National Unity is [GNU] “My department will work with all national, provincial and local government agencies to unlock the potential of using national assets for the public good and transform South Africa into a construction site,” McPherson said.
He said KwaZulu-Natal could be a beacon of hope and would “work hard to ensure that public assets are used for the public good in eThekwini”.
“Having met with Mayor Shaba, we agreed to establish a critical joint technical task team between the City and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to address the many distressed buildings in the city, ensure state-owned assets pay tax on time and help revitalise Durban’s inner city.”
The task team will meet monthly and report progress to Xaba and Macpherson every two months.
McPherson said steps were already being taken by the police department regarding the abandoned and partially taken over Excelsior Court building in Berea and the possible redevelopment of the city's old police station, while work to ensure compliance with fire safety standards at the Durban Magistrate's Court was nearly complete.
“The task team will develop a formal strategy and plan to promote investment in state real estate and attract additional investment to the city centre, while following up on interventions to ensure desired outcomes are achieved.”
This will support Shaba Municipality’s restoration and reconstruction efforts to meet the needs of the long-suffering residents of this once glorious city, he said.
“The reality is that KZN can only function if eThekwini functions. KZN is too big to fail and we are fully committed to playing our part.”
Mr McPherson said residents had told the water board that one of their biggest problems was an unreliable water supply, with some often going without water for more than a week.
“Without water, eThekwini will not be able to function or survive as an investment or tourism destination. Through Infrastructure South Africa, the Authority is determined to partner with the city to support the development of water sector infrastructure to solve this problem for good.”
Infrastructure South Africa was established in 2020 under the Presidency as a single gateway for accelerated infrastructure investment.
Mr MacPherson said he looked forward to working with Mr Shabba “to drive further infrastructure development across the region” to spur economic growth, create jobs and address issues such as the water crisis.
Xaba said the city had agreed to work with the Public Works Department to find a “permanent solution” to the problematic building in Durban city centre.
He said the metro's downtown redevelopment plan already focuses on removing distressed buildings, managing public spaces and enforcing bylaws.
“We cannot talk about revitalising the city without addressing the issue of poor construction. In this regard, our team has identified 76 buildings which are dilapidated, abandoned, taken over and overcrowded. Of these, 58 are privately owned and 18 are government owned buildings, which require the Minister's intervention.”
He said 23 percent of the buildings are owned by local, state or national government agencies and 77 percent are owned by the private sector, and 16 of the buildings had been taken over and were illegally occupied.
Xaba said since the scheme began, 12 buildings have been renovated by their owners and seven hijacked buildings have been returned to their owners, while seven others are undergoing repairs and 11 have been demolished.
The city council approved wrapping the buildings to help property owners earn advertising revenue to help pay past due taxes and service fees and cover the costs of renovations.
Xaba said options for dealing with problematic buildings include asking the owners to renovate the buildings, for the city to obtain a court order to demolish the buildings on a cost recovery basis, or for the building to be redeveloped. The courts would play a central role, and eThekwini metro would request the appointment of a judge to deal with the issues.
McPherson said financial institutions that specialize in urban renewal have expressed interest in getting involved in projects that address deteriorated buildings.
A date will soon be set for a national summit involving the MECs for public works in all nine provinces, the minister of justice, the minister of police and police to discuss ways of tackling the construction mafia.
“It baffles and frustrates me when people say they are business forums and not the construction mafia. These are people carrying AK47s. They commit violence, murder and extortion. These are not business forums, nor are they community groups. These are well-armed, well-funded and intelligence-driven individuals terrorizing the state and communities,” McPherson said.
“I am not ready to talk to them. I am not ready to negotiate with them because we do not negotiate with extortionists. If we start negotiating with people who commit violence and murder, we are on a dangerous path. This GNU does not tolerate anarchy or extortion in any form,” he said.
Mr McPherson welcomed the arrest of five suspects linked to the construction mafia in the Pietermaritzburg area.
The two appeared in court on Monday and were remanded in custody pending further investigation, while the other suspect had been arrested for allegedly threatening workers at a construction site in the Durban Point area.
“The government's reaction and response to the mafia is intensifying… and it is a sign that the GNU will no longer tolerate, accommodate or negotiate with crooks and gangsters who are holding the state hostage and trying to extort money. The only thing we should negotiate is the length of sentences at Westville Prison,” McPherson said.
