Joburg fire a disaster waiting to happen, says Mashaba

The ActionSA leader believes the tragedy could have been easily avoided.

At least 74 people died when a fire broke out in a hijacked building in the CBD.

Out of the 74 bodies, 24 were identified as females, 40 as males, and 10 were an undetermined gender as the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.

Among those succumbed to their fatalities 12 were children.

Mashaba said during his tenure as mayor he had repeatedly warned about the dangers of hijacked buildings.

"I attempted reclaim more than 400 of these buildings to provide dignified social housing. But, instead of receiving support from the provincial or national government to ensure no person lives

in squalor, I was obstructed at every corner while non-profit organisations blocked attempts in court to have people removed from unsafe living conditions.

"The South African government should take responsibility for bringing the city of Johannesburg to a situation where lawlessness is allowed to proliferate and should take urgent action to avoid similar incidents from happening in other buildings in the city.

"ActionSA believes that 29 years democracy it is completely unacceptable that people are forced to live in buildings which are unsanitary and clear fire danger, while they are illegally extorted by mafia-like landlords."

Mashaba said he believes South Africans deserve better.

"No country can flourish where lawlessness flourishes, and ActionSA is committed to returning the rule of law to all our communities. Our people, as we have seen in Marshalltown today, simply deserve better."

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