The Tshwane metro has announced it will be taking legal action to remove the people occupying the Melgisedek Building in Riviera, following a serious fire on February 2.

On Monday at about 07:30, the city’s Emergency Services Department (ESD) responded to a fire incident there.

After the call reached the emergency call centre, firefighters from Innesdale, Hatfield and Central Fire Stations were dispatched to the scene to contain the blaze.

Firefighters found the third floor of one of the buildings engulfed in flames. The roof later collapsed, and preliminary assessments indicate that about 20 rooms were affected by the fire.

Fortunately, no casualties were recorded as the occupants of the building managed to evacuate safely before the fire spread. Four patients were, however, treated for smoke inhalation and transported to a nearby medical facility.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, and the fire department has begun investigations.

The Melgisedek building, close to Steve Biko Academic Hospital, has become infamous over the last 14 years for its state of severe decay, and is alleged to be a haven for vagrancy, crime, and illegal trading.

They, together with the Mahala flats, which are on the same property, have previously been declared uninhabitable by the metro.

MMC for Corporate and Shared Services and Chairperson of the Bad Buildings Committee, Kholofelo Morodi, said that Melgisedek has been a ‘ticking time bomb’. She added that the metro will not wait for loss of life to begin relocating the inhabitants of this and other similar buildings in the area.

Despite promising the relocation of people living there in July 2025, suitable alternative housing for its occupants had to be confirmed first, as is required by law.

“I want to be unequivocal: the city cannot and will not wait for loss of life before acting. Considering this fire and the building’s prior classification as unsafe, the city will be approaching the [High] Court on an urgent basis to seek an order permitting the relocation of occupants from the building. This step is necessary, lawful and driven solely by the imperative to protect lives,” Morodi said.

The buildings have been flagged as high-risk during previous visits, and Morodi said the swift response of the metro’s ESD played a vital part in the fire, causing no deaths.

She and fellow officials visited the site following the fire. She said their findings reaffirm the committee’s position regarding the risk that bad buildings carry in the metro.

“This incident sadly confirms what the committee has consistently warned about: bad buildings are a direct threat to human life. They are not an abstract policy issue but a real and present danger to residents, emergency responders, and surrounding communities,” Morodi added.

“For too long, unsafe buildings have been allowed to deteriorate while residents are placed at risk. The work of the Bad Buildings Committee is about restoring order, enforcing the law, and putting people’s safety first.

“Today’s incident reinforces why decisive political leadership is required in dealing with hijacked, neglected, and non-compliant buildings across Tshwane,” Morodi said.

The mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, said the metro has identified the land it wishes to relocate the occupants to and is only awaiting an order from the High Court giving approval for the eviction.

Once this is received, the residents will be moved to a piece of land that the council has identified as safe.

Moya has confirmed that after the removal, the building will be demolished.

Watch here:

We made an oversight visit to the Melgisedek Buildings in the Pretoria CBD. This is a city owned property that’s been vacant for years and has become home to hundreds of homeless people. A fire broke out leaving four people injured. To protect the occupants of this area we will… https://t.co/53IhyIXtg1 pic.twitter.com/NzrLCUfsy7

— Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) February 3, 2026

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