DA, ActionSA Have Mixed Feelings on Mayor and Mayoral Committee Offices Moving to Usindiso Building

• The Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero's recent announcement that his and the Mayoral Committee's offices will be moved to the Usindiso Building stirred different reactions
• The Democratic Alliance and ActionSA spoke to Briefly News and shared their views on the expected move
• While ActionSA welcomed the announcement, the Democratic Alliance was unhappy with Morero's decision

With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties and Parliament.

JOHANNESBURG—Opposition parties in the City of Johannesburg are on both sides of the spectrum after Mayor Dada Morero said his and the Mayoral Committee's offices will be moved to the Usindiso Building. Briefly News spoke to the Democratic Alliance, which opposed the move, and ActionSA, which welcomed it.

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Morero's announcement elicits mixed reactions

Morero announced on 6 December 2024 that he was moving his offices to the Usindiso Building to be closer to the Inner City Rejuvenation project and experience the Inner City's challenges. The Usindiso Building caught fire in August 2023, killing 77 people. ActionSA Joburg Caucus spokesperson Khomo Mashala told Briefly News that the party welcomes the move.

ActionSA stands with Morero

Mashala said the party advocates for the Inner City Rejuvenation and welcomes any move to validate the call. She said the party submitted a motion on the Inner City Rejuvenation's progress to the council, which has been adopted. She also said the memories of those who died in the fire will live beyond this generation.

"One will recall that Usindiso has a rich history that dates back to the apartheid era, and such history must be maintained. We do not oppose any positive move that seeks to amplify our call for the Inner City Rejuvenation. We are cognizant of the city's decay, and drastic steps need to be taken, steps that are not based on popularity stunts but steps that seek to address the challenges that have confronted the City."

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The DA disagrees

However, the DA's Joburg Caucus leader, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, told Briefly News that the DA is deeply disturbed by Morero's proposal to move his office to the Usindiso Building. She said the decision disregards Judge Khampepe's scathing findings after the Usindiso Commission of Inquiry.

Khampepe's report, released in April, partly held the City of Johannesburg and its entities, including the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), responsible for the fire. It also recommended that the accounting officers of the City's entities, namely the JPC, Pikitup, and Johannesburg Water, face disciplinary processes.

Echeozonjoku makes recommendations

Echeozonjoku slammed Morero. She said instead of addressing the urgent recommendations in the report or prioritizing the needs of Johannesburg's residents, the plan risks compounding the inner City's homelessness crisis.

"The only existing inner-city shelter, Kotze Street, receives insufficient attention, starkly contrasting with cities like Cape Town.

"The DA calls on the mayor and his coalition to prioritise Johannesburg's pressing needs by conducting a comprehensive audit of city-owned dilapidated buildings, reducing red tape to attract private-sector partnerships that convert unused building properties to affordable housing and mixed-use developments (and) collaborating with banks, businesses and experts to fast-track inner-city rejuvenation through zoning," she said.

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DA, ActionSA call out Joburg for neglecting hijacked buildings

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that the DA and ActionSA slammed the City of Johannesburg for its lackadaisical approach to hijacked buildings. The DA blamed red tape, a lack of political will and negligence in enforcing bylaws as some of the problems.

ActionSA recommended that the police be [empowered to evict illegal tenants on owners' behalf. The party remarked that illegal tenants make removing them challenging for the City.

Source: Briefly News