Yesterday, I held a meeting with the City’s Group Risk and Advisory Services (GRAS) department to discuss the City’s progress into fully assessing the damage caused by a violent storm on 30 December 2017, which destroyed a number of properties in the southern and western parts of Johannesburg.
Following the storm, I had committed to launching a full investigation which would establish whether the construction of the worst affected homes was up to the appropriate standard. The investigation was to be completed by the end of this month.
GRAS yesterday requested to have the deadline for submitting the investigation’s final report extended into early next week. The purpose of this extension is to ensure that those affected by the investigation’s findings are given a proper opportunity to respond to the matters raised therein. In the interests of promoting fairness, I have agreed to this reasonable request.
As part of the investigation, GRAS is charged with:
• Establishing the identities of contractors involved in the construction of some of these buildings;
• The City’s role in issuing certificates of occupation which affirm the safety of these buildings; and
• The role of financial institutions, such as lenders and banks, who fund the construction of some of these poor buildings.
To meet both these ends, the services of independent structural engineers and quantity surveyors were acquired by GRAS. These engineers and surveyors have been involved in a process of conducting tests on a sample of properties affected by the storm.
As we near the conclusion of this investigation, I would like to thank the residents of those affected communities for their support and continued patience in this matter.
Cllr Herman Mashaba
Executive Mayor
City of Joburg
Media queries:
Luyanda Mfeka
Director: Mayoral Communications
Office of the Executive Mayor
Cell: 076 171 5978
Email: luyandam@joburg.org.za