Councillors raise alarm over dilapidated Johannesburg properties
Two once-thriving Johannesburg buildings, the old Norwood Library and the Houghton Police Reserve, now stand dilapidated, as residents and councillors demand urgent action to reclaim them for community use.
Two neglected properties in Norwood and Hougton have sparked renewed concern among local councillors and residents, with questions directed at the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) and other authorities over why buildings of value to communities have been left to fall into disrepair.
In Norwood, councillors gathered outside the old Norwood Library, a two-storey structure once donated by a private resident to the city.
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Speaking at the site, councillor Bongani Nkomo, Shadow MMC for Economic Development, said the building had ‘a lot of potential to give back to the community’ but was now occupied by vagrants because of JPC’s ‘inactiveness’.
Ward 73 councillor Eleanor Huggett described the building’s decline as a ‘blight on the street’, saying it was once a vibrant library before services were moved to a new recreation centre.
She said it had been intended for community use, such as a night shelter for victims of abuse, but instead had been left unsecured, unmaintained and unused for years.
“This building is supposed to be used for the good of our community,” Huggett said. “It could be a thriving, bustling centre, and instead it’s a complete disaster.
We are asking that JPC get its act together and sort out this building for us and for the residents of Ward 73.”
Meanwhile, in Houghton, another group of councillors highlighted the plight of the old Police Reserve Centre, a heritage site now described as derelict.
Councillor Martin Loe noted the presence of people living inside the abandoned building, saying it could instead serve as a community asset, such as a restaurant, given its setting near a small waterfall.
Huggett added that residents’ associations had already spent around R60 000 clearing this site. “At one stage, the weeds were overhead height,” she said.
“This Police Reserve building is a beautiful heritage site which should be used for the community, and it’s a complete waste due to the negligence of JPC, which has just abandoned, once again, its buildings and its people.”
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The ownership of the properties, however, is complex. According to the City of Johannesburg, the old Norwood Library (Portion 57 of Farm Klipfontein 58 IR in Ward 73, Region E) is owned by the municipality and managed by the city’s Community Development Department.
The old Police Reserve Centre in Houghton is not under the Johannesburg Property Company’s control.
Property records show that the land is split between two owners: the main portion belongs to the National Government of South Africa, while a smaller adjoining section is owned by Telkom SA Ltd.
The city has not yet confirmed whether development plans are being considered for either site.
In the meantime, residents and councillors continue to push for urgent action to prevent further decay and to reclaim the properties for public benefit.
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