Man jumps from burning building, dies

A fire broke out this morning in a building on Nugget Street in Johannesburg. One man died when he jumped from the building to escape the fire, while four others were saved from the rooftop using a ladder.

Mnyamandawo Burns again and successful extinguished by @CityofJoburgZA emergency services pic.twitter.com/K4lqSRNNMF

— . (@moses_moyo) July 5, 2017

News24 reports it is unclear from which floor the man jumped, and that the fire has been brought under control. Emergency services were examining the scene to ensure the safety of everyone in the building.

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services tweeted four people had been treated for smoke inhalation and that three more bodies had been recovered during the search and rescue efforts.

Four people have been rescued from building & treated for smoke inhalation. Firefighters curretly damping down hotspots.Pic @md_mabelebele pic.twitter.com/McOUvuEhX6

— City of Joburg EMS (@CityofJoburgEMS) July 5, 2017

The number of fatalities from this morning building fire in the Joburg CBD has increased to seven. Pics by @MarykeVermaak pic.twitter.com/PypG0rCXjI

— City of Joburg EMS (@CityofJoburgEMS) July 5, 2017

It was further reported by City Buzz that Themba Funani, a resident in the Cape York building that had been ravaged by a fire, said the fire started at about 8am.

Funani said the fire was caused after a curtain caught alight while two men were fighting.

The comes at a time when the City’s mayor, Herman Mashaba, has lead a series of operations aimed at rejuvenating the city’s hijacked buildings.

According to the Northcliff Melville Times, the City of Johannesburg has started to profile residents who live in hijacked buildings in the inner city before it starts evictions, finding alternative accommodation and eventually, redeveloping the dilapidated structures.

On June 30, the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service Unit conducted a crime prevention operation in two well-known hijacked buildings in the inner city, Vannin Court and Florence House.

Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba said 23 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested during the operation and detained at the Hillbrow Police Station. Some stores were also fined for selling expired goods.

In conjunction with the South African Police Service, the department of home affairs, metro police, emergency management services and the city’s health and social development departments, the operation focused on collecting data on the people living in the buildings.

“Before we are able to obtain an eviction order, it is vital that we profile the occupants living in the building and ensure that we are able to find alternative accommodation for them,” said Mashaba.

“Once the City is able to find alternative accommodation, it will be able to close off the buildings to redevelop them into affordable housing.

“Hijacked buildings are a major problem in our inner city, with our people living in deplorable conditions and being abused by slumlords who extort money from them. At Vannin Court, it was found that the occupiers are renting beds in the units from ‘owners’ for amounts ranging from R250 to R1 200 per person.”

Hijacked buildings are indeed one of the biggest issues in the inner city. Row upon row of high-rises have become silent giants in bustling Joburg. Young adults, the elderly and even children peek out of broken windows only to see rows of sleeping bags lined on the pavement below.

City sidewalks have become home to 3 500 people, according to a census done by the department of social development three years ago. This number excludes people who live in hijacked buildings.

“Crime has spiralled out of control in the area, with muggings and violent crime becoming common place. What makes matters worse is the fact that criminals run into these buildings and hide when being pursued by the police.”

The inner city is a special project for Mashaba since taking office. He has made oversight visits and consulted with various departments to come up with solutions to counter the decay the inner city faces.

The Urban Development Zone tax incentive, which was announced in 2003, is still the City’s foot to stand on when convincing and enticing potential investors to invest in the once-vibrant inner city.

– Caxton News Service