Hijacked buildings: Finding alternative accommodation a challenge – Safety MMC
All the news you need to know from the midday report with Mandy Wiener.
The aftermath of a building in Jeppestown that caught fire in the early hours of Sunday, 25 August 2024, claiming the lives of at least four people. Picture: Thabiso Goba / Eyewitness News
A deadly building fire in Jeppestown over the weekend killed four people and has left roughly 200 people displaced
Thabiso Goba, Eyewitness News reporter, says homeless people and former occupants were trying to salvage scraps from the destroyed building before it was blocked off by the police.
This building was hijacked, and for many, it was the only place they could afford to live in.
“Even though it was illegal, they were able to get shelter, electricity, and they were warm.”
- Thabiso Goba, Eyewitness News reporter
They are being housed in tents nearby, but say they are extremely uncomfortable.
Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku says finding alternative accommodation for people in hijacked buildings is currently the top priority to manage this situation in the CBD.
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