Herman Mashaba says he is not to blame for the problems in the inner city.
Days before the country enters an election year, political parties are already squabbling over the crisis in Johannesburg’s inner city.
The country will hold local government elections in 2026, and Johannesburg is among the most contested metros.
Earlier this week, Public Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku told reporters that the city will be negotiating with residents of a hijacked building in the CBD.
He said these residents are tired of being harassed and want to pay rates.
However, ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba strongly opposed this idea. He told Tshwaku through his X account that it is tantamount to negotiating with criminals.
Mashaba explained that a number of criminal activities take place in hijacked buildings in the inner city, including human trafficking and harbouring illegal immigrants.
He said in most cases these buildings are not fit for human habitation.
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ANC statement
But in a statement on Saturday, the ANC defended Tshwaku, who is an EFF councillor. It said the ruling coalition in Johannesburg is not negotiating with criminals.
“Accusing the current administration of negotiating with criminals while disregarding his (Mashaba’s) own failures is not constructive political criticism; it is a display of intellectual dishonesty and cynical politicking of the highest order.
“The ANC in Greater Joburg region will not permit the complex challenge of hijacked buildings to be trivialised by campaign theatrics from a politician who has already failed Johannesburg.
“This matter concerns law enforcement, housing dignity, social justice, and economic renewal, not the restoration of Mashaba’s political reputation,” said ANC regional spokesperson Mantombu Nkosi.
Nkosi said Mashaba failed to address the challenges posed by hijacked buildings in the inner city.
“It is not surprising but quite shocking that under Mr Mashaba’s leadership, the city released several municipally owned buildings to the private sector as part of inner-city redevelopment initiatives.
“Many of these properties were allocated to developers who had no clear or viable funding plans, resulting in stalled projects and further urban decay. Moreover, these transactions were carried out without the provision of alternative accommodation for the occupants, leaving vulnerable residents exposed and worsening the housing crisis in the inner city,” she said.
Mashaba responds
In response to the ANC’s comments, Mashaba said that through his intervention when he was mayor, the city was able to identify 600 hijacked buildings.
He said more than 150 were reclaimed and repurposed through partnerships with the private sector.
Mashaba said over 22 000 permanent work opportunities were created through these projects.
But he said after he left office, the ANC stopped the existing projects aimed at rejuvenating the inner city.
“The ANC claims that they have done good work in the inner city, but I can tell you this: 10 years after they got into power, the iconic Carlton Hotel in the CBD closed down.
“This is the same hotel that used to host international stars, and this is the same hotel where we had a welcome back party for Nelson Mandela in the ballroom,” he said.
Mashaba said he had also launched the Group Forensic Investigation Services (GFIS) in the City of Johannesburg.
This unit is meant to save the city money through investigating cases of fraud and corruption related to municipal tenders and assets.
“Even when this unit launched, they were against it because there are allegations that some of their comrades are behind the sale of these buildings to dodgy people,” he said.
The debate about the decay of the inner city and who is responsible for it has been a debate between political parties for some time.
But Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo recently told The Citizen that the private sector is also to blame for the challenges of the inner city.
He said they began leaving before 1995 due to fears of political change in the country.
Masondo said 1994 also brought the challenge of illegal migration to the City of Johannesburg, which brought other problems, such as crime, hijacked buildings, and overcrowding.
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