August 1 2017 – CITY of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says they’re building affordable high rise housing, only for SA but not for migrants whether legal or illegal will not be eligible, despite the fact that most people in hijacked slum buildings are foreigners.
“I will do everything possible to provide accommodation. But the City of Johannesburg will only provide accommodation to South Africans. Foreigners, whether legal or illegal, are not the responsibility of the city. I run the municipality. I don’t run national government, ”says Mashaba who has been in several collisions with the city’s immigrant community, since becoming mayor last year.
Mashaba has called on human rights and international organisations to donate funds if they want the City to provide accommodation to foreigners.
He adds: “I’m not going to allow the slum lords to be part of this and 80% of the people in the hijacked buildings are foreign nationals. I will do everything possible to provide accommodation, but the City of Johannesburg will only provide accommodation for South Africans.”
This comes after residents hijacked a building in the inner city on Jeppe Street but have since been evicted by the Red Ants, with the mayor declaring that he won’t allow dilapidated buildings to be hijacked.
Two weeks ago, seven people died when a similar building caught fire in the same street.
“It’s still a mystery to me why we allowed the breakdown of law to happen under our watch yet at least 300 000 people are looking for houses in our city today. And I’m sitting with a list where 152 000 people expect me, as the executive mayor, to provide accommodation. – EWN, additional reporting ZimsInSA.com reporter
