On Friday, January 28 MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, Councillor Leah Knott together with senior management and Ward 70 councillor Caleb Finn paid a visit to the City’s former workshops where they discovered that City assets had been stripped extensively.
The Florida workshops, which are now being used as an asset storage facility, is home to several depot buildings and workshops, some dating back to the 1940s, and have been used to store redundant vehicles and office equipment pending their sale.
“Together with the Acting City Manager, Floyd Brink, we developed a plan to beef up security at this site, finally dispose of these old assets, and make sure that the guilty parties are prosecuted for their part in the theft of City assets,” Leah said in a recent statement.
Caleb, together with local residents, has been trying to alert the City to the theft for several months.
According to Leah over 50 fire engines and other fire vehicles were stored on the site, waiting to be sold. These were being scrapped due to the high cost of repairs, and while most could have contributed much-needed funds to the City, they have been stripped of all valuable parts. Many buildings have also been stripped of ceilings and fittings, along with all equipment in the workshops.
“Only one security guard was stationed here, and was unable to prevent the theft. The City Group Forensics and Investigation (GFIS) Unit has concluded an investigation into the theft which implicates former City employees, but while cases were opened with local police there had been no prosecutions to date,” the statement read.
The City will be beefing up security at the site to prevent any further theft, and will be tracking the cases with the NPA to ensure that guilty parties are fully prosecuted.
Auctioneers are expected to be appointed in March to dispose of the remaining assets, and then the City will look to repurpose and redevelop the facility through public-private partnerships so that it can be an asset to the residents of Johannesburg. Initial proposals are to convert the workshops into a training facility for youth in the automotive sector.
“This action is part of the Golden Start of the Multi-Party Government which includes upholding the rule of law and creating opportunities, especially for youth development, so that we can restore Johannesburg as the economic heart of our country,” Leah concluded her statement.
