Poverty & desperation root cause of illegal occupation of buildings - inquiry

JOHANNESBURG - The commission of inquiry into the prevalence of hijacked buildings in the Johannesburg CBD has revealed that poverty and desperation were the main drivers behind the illegal occupation of properties.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi established the commission to investigate both the 2023 Usindiso building fire, which claimed 76 lives, and the broader issue of hijacked buildings.

The commission recently concluded its work and submitted its second and final report.

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Although the commission’s final report criticised the city for failing to prevent the hijacking of its buildings, it also emphasised that poverty had driven many people into unlawful occupation.

The report noted that one of the key lessons was the need for the city to make affordable housing more accessible if it hoped to curb the scourge of building hijackings.

SERI's director of research and advocacy, Lauren Royston, said it was evident that poverty remained a root cause of many of the country’s challenges.

"The perception in the public is that people have hijacked these buildings. This is simply not the case. Instead, what the commission finds is that poverty and the shortage of affordable housing are the key drivers leading people to live in these very unsafe conditions."

The Gauteng government and the City of Johannesburg now face the challenging responsibility of implementing the commission’s recommendations.