Durban - The eThekwini Municipality says there has been progress in fixing buildings that are an eyesore in the city.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the city had intensified its programme of eradicating problem buildings in the CBD.
“Having conducted consultations with property owners, we are pleased with the progress we have seen with over 80% of the 33 identified buildings being renovated.”
He said furthermore, the negotiations with the Department of Public Works and Transnet to attend to their seven buildings were yielding positive results. For instance, three buildings owned by the Public Works Department were in the process of being transferred to new owners for repurposing or redevelopment.
He said Transnet had demolished one of their problem buildings in the Mahatma Gandhi precinct.
“We want to caution property owners who continue to ignore our building by-laws that we will not hesitate to institute legal proceedings against them.”
In the past there have been concerns about the state of buildings in the city. These buildings were poorly maintained and some had become a magnet for criminal activity. The city warned property owners to start taking care of their buildings or face legal action to compel them to maintain the buildings.
In 2019 it was reported that three buildings in Durban’s Point area were to be demolished, as part of the eThekwini Municipality’s bid to rid the city of about 80 dilapidated buildings. Thirty-nine of these “bad buildings” are in the Mahatma Gandhi precinct.