By Palesa Matlala
- Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero says Marble Towers owes the city R14-million for water, electricity, rates and taxes as officials cut services.
- The City of Johannesburg says illegal shacks and containers around Marble Towers cannot stay despite the owners stopping demolitions through court action.
The City of Johannesburg’s crackdown on illegal structures in the central business district hit a legal wall after the owners of Marble Towers rushed to court to stop demolitions.
City officials arrived at the massive building on Tuesday as part of a high impact operation targeting illegal structures, bylaw breakers and unsafe buildings in the inner city.
But the demolitions were suddenly stopped after the owners secured an urgent court interdict late on Monday night.
Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero led the operation alongside Members of the Mayoral Committee and city officials in Small Street and around Marble Towers.
Morero said the building owners owed the city millions for unpaid services.
“We have established that the building owes us R14-million in water, electricity, rates and taxes. So, we are acting,” he said.
He said the city had already cut the water supply and was disconnecting electricity to pressure the owners to pay up.
Morero also said the city found illegal structures at the building during inspections.
“On our assessment, we have confirmed that structures built there are illegal,” he said.
But the owners fought back in court and managed to temporarily stop the demolitions.
Morero said the judge ordered the city to give the owners a chance to present their case in court at 10am.
City legal representative Segala Malahlela confirmed officials agreed not to demolish anything until the court hears the matter.
“We made an undertaking with the judge not to demolish anything, but to continue with our other law enforcement work,” he said.
Malahlela said the owners wanted the city to leave the shacks and containers around Marble Towers untouched.
But he said the city believed the illegal structures had to be removed immediately.
The matter is expected to return to the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday where judgment could be handed down.
Morero’s spokesperson Khathutshelo Mulaudzi said the operation forms part of the city’s wider campaign to clean up the inner city.
She said officials were targeting illegal trading, hijacked and unsafe buildings, illegal signage, waste problems and crumbling infrastructure.
Pictured above: Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero during the operation.
Image source: City of Johannesburg.
