News24.com | Mayors ignored calls over 'unsafe' Joburg council building - speaker to take action after fire

City of Johannesburg Speaker Colleen Makhubele

• The speaker of the City of Johannesburg will bring a compliance enforcement report to council after a fire at the council building.
• The fire broke out on the building's ground floor on Friday.
• Speaker Colleen Makhubele said she repeatedly called for urgent intervention as the building was "unsafe".

Johannesburg Speaker Colleen Makhubele will bring a compliance enforcement report to council after a fire broke out in the council building on Friday.

The fire broke out on the ground floor on Friday at 07:25, and emergency services and firefighters had to evacuate the building.

News24 understands that staff in some council departments were working from home on Monday.

In a notice issued on Sunday evening, Makhubele said after repeatedly calling for urgent intervention at the building, she was again calling on Johannesburg Mayor Thapelo Amad and executives to act with urgency by evacuating employees, councillors and visitors from the "unsafe building".

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"In several attempts, I have reached out to the previous executive mayor, councillor Mpho Phalatse, with no response at all, and now I have subsequently yet again reached out to the current executive mayor (Amad)... I have in no uncertain terms been pleading to the executive for an urgent action plan to evacuate all employees within the Metro Centre.

"This is the limitation of oversight and trying to hold executives accountable and they deliberately ignore implementation of oversight recommendations."

Makhubele continued:

According to her, hardly any repairs and maintenance have been carried out. Makhubele said this rendered the council building non-compliant with Occupational Health and Safety in the Workplace and electrical requirements, among other building legislation.

"Following reports issued by relevant oversight Committees, JPC (Johannesburg Property Company) and EMS (Emergency Management Services), it is no secret that the City of Joburg Metro Centre is very old, and the building requires lots of maintenance and repair."

Makhubele expressed gratitude that no injuries or fatalities were recorded and commended EMS for its speedy response to contain the fire.

News24 has reached out to Amad, and his comment will be added if received.