Former Mayor of the City of Johannesburg and leader of ActionSA Herman Mashaba was among many leaders who descended on the Joburg CBD to support families of victims of the fire.

PEOPLE DIE IN TRAGIC BUILDING FIRE IN JOBURG CBD
Last night, Wednesday, 30 August, an abandoned building crammed with hundreds of people, claimed the lives of 73 occupants, including children when the building caught alight.

 

ACTIONSA LEADER HERMAN MASHABA SHARES HIS VIEWS
Engaging the media at the scene of the devastating tragedy, former Mayor Herman Mashaba, alluded that this tragedy could have been avoided if the hijacking of buildings agenda had been taken seriously.

“During my tenure as Mayor of the City of Johannesburg between 2016 to 2019, I fought against the hijacking of buildings and repeatedly warned of the possible dangers they pose. However, my administration’s efforts to crack down on hijacked and dilapidated buildings in the Johannesburg Inner-city were sidetracked by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the ANC government,” he said

“We extend our sincere condolences to the victims and their families.”
In a statement, Funzi Ngobeni, ActionSA Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, emphasised Mashaba’s efforts during his tenure as mayor.

“ActionSA has long highlighted the dangers hijacked buildings hold for Johannesburg residents, with Herman Mashaba as Johannesburg Executive Mayor spearheading a project to reclaim these buildings to provide affordable housing,” he said.
“We urge the Gauteng Province and the City of Johannesburg to provide urgent emergency services to the affected community, including providing alternative accommodation and establishing a mobile clinic close to the scene.

“The State should also expedite processes to reclaim these buildings to avoid similar disasters from taking place in the future. The people living in these buildings deserve better than the squalor they have been forced to live in,” Ngobeni stated.
Mashaba