Urban decay | Hijacked buildings become crime hotspots

Summary

In Johannesburg, urban decay is impacting service delivery and social economics as inner-city buildings become dilapidated and crime hotspots. Angela Rivers from the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association discusses the rapid deterioration over the last decade, the financial implications of hijacked buildings, and the city's ineffective task teams. She emphasizes the need for collaboration between the city and the private sector to address the issue, highlighting the significant loss of property value and the urgent need for safe and secure housing.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ Urban decay in Johannesburg's inner city has been accelerating over the last decade, leading to a significant deterioration in infrastructure and buildings.
• 💔 The hijacking of buildings, particularly those belonging to the municipality or provincial government, is a core issue contributing to the decline of the city center.
• 🔫 Hijacked buildings become crime hot spots, affecting the safety and value of surrounding properties, with incidents of violence and robbery being common.
• 📉 The presence of hijacked buildings leads to high tenant turnover and a decrease in property values, impacting the affordability of housing in the area.
• 📈 A recent revaluation by the city council in July 2023 has seen property values in the inner city increase threefold, significantly affecting affordability for residents.
• 💸 The financial implications of urban decay are severe, with property owners facing increased rates and residents struggling with the rising costs of living.
• 🚨 The city's task team for addressing 'problem properties' has been ineffective, lacking the necessary cooperation from various government departments.
• 🏠 Not all residents of hijacked buildings are criminals; some are there due to the lack of formal tenancy requirements and the need for affordable housing options.
• 🏚️ Many hijacked buildings lack basic utilities like water and electricity, making them unlivable and contributing to the city's failure to provide secure housing.
• 💡 The city is losing revenue from hijacked buildings as they do not receive rates or payments for utilities that are being stolen.
• 🤝 Collaboration between the city and the private sector is essential to tackle the issue of hijacked buildings and urban decay effectively.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the provided script?

The main topic of discussion is the issue of urban decay in Johannesburg's inner city, particularly focusing on the impact of hijacked and dilapidated buildings on service delivery and social economics.

How long has the deterioration of Johannesburg's inner city been ongoing according to Angela Rivers?

Angela Rivers suggests that the deterioration of the inner city has been going on for quite a while, but it has significantly worsened in the last 10 years.

What are the consequences of having hijacked buildings in the inner city, as mentioned by Angela Rivers?

Hijacked buildings lead to a decrease in property values around them, high tenant turnover, and increased crime, as tenants do not want to stay in buildings near these unsafe structures.

What is the term the city prefers to use instead of 'hijacked buildings'?

The city prefers to use the term 'problem properties' instead of 'hijacked buildings'.

How has the city of Johannesburg addressed the revaluation of properties in the inner city?

In July of the current year, the city council implemented their General Valuations Roll 2023, which involved revaluing all properties in Johannesburg, leading to significant increases in property values and rates.

What impact does the increase in property valuation have on the affordable housing market?

The increased valuations make affordable housing less affordable, as the costs are passed on to tenants, affecting those earning between five and fifteen thousand Rand a month.

What role does the Problem Properties Task Team play in addressing the issue of hijacked buildings?

The Problem Properties Task Team is supposed to address the issue of hijacked buildings, but Angela Rivers describes it as ineffective due to the lack of coordination between various government departments.

Why is it important for multiple government departments to work together to tackle hijacked buildings?

Multiple departments such as law enforcement, health, social services, and home affairs are needed to effectively address the complex issues within hijacked buildings, including safety, health, and legal concerns.

How do hijacked buildings affect the city's revenue?

Hijacked buildings result in the city losing revenue as they do not receive rates or payments for utilities like water and electricity that are being stolen or misused.

What solution does Angela Rivers propose to address the issue of hijacked buildings?

Angela Rivers suggests that the city needs to work together with the private sector, including property owners and managers with experience in dealing with hijacked buildings, to effectively tackle the problem.

What is the significance of the term 'urban decay' in the context of this script?

The term 'urban decay' refers to the decline of urban areas characterized by deteriorating infrastructure, crime, and a decrease in property values, which is a central theme of the discussion in the script.

Outlines

00:00

🏙️ Urban Decay in Johannesburg's Inner City

The first paragraph discusses the impact of urban decay on service delivery and social economics in Johannesburg's inner city. Angela Rivers from the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association joins the conversation to provide context on the deterioration of the inner city over the last decade. She highlights the issue of wastage and corruption, where funds meant for infrastructure repair are misused, leading to a rise in crime and hijacked buildings. These buildings, often belonging to the municipality or provincial government, negatively affect property values and tenant safety, causing high turnover rates in nearby properties.

05:02

📉 Economic Impact of Hijacked Buildings

The second paragraph delves into the economic implications of hijacked buildings. The city council's revaluation in July 2023 has led to a threefold increase in property values, significantly affecting the affordability of housing in the area. The narrative illustrates the case of a developer whose rates account increased drastically, making affordable housing less accessible. The paragraph also addresses the issue of crime in these buildings, which further deteriorates the value of the surrounding area. Angela emphasizes the ineffectiveness of the city's problem properties task team and the need for a collaborative approach involving various government departments to tackle the issue of hijacked buildings. She concludes by stressing the importance of working together with the private sector to address the problem, given the city's current state of deterioration.

Keywords

💡Urban Decay

Urban Decay refers to the decline of a city's infrastructure and the deterioration of its built environment, often characterized by abandoned or poorly maintained buildings. In the video, Angela Rivers discusses the impact of urban decay on Johannesburg's inner city, where buildings have become crime hotspots and have negatively affected the social and economic conditions of the area.

💡Service Delivery

Service delivery in this context pertains to the provision of public services such as infrastructure maintenance, utilities, and other essential services by the government. The script mentions the impact of urban decay on service delivery, suggesting that the deterioration of the city's infrastructure has compromised the government's ability to provide these services effectively.

💡Hijacked Buildings

Hijacked buildings are properties that have been illegally occupied or taken over, often leading to a decline in the property's condition and value. In the transcript, Angela Rivers highlights that many of these buildings in Johannesburg's inner city belong to the municipality or provincial government, and their hijacking is a significant factor contributing to urban decay.

💡Crime Hot Spots

Crime hot spots are areas with a high concentration of criminal activity. The script discusses how hijacked buildings have become such hot spots, leading to a decrease in property values and a reluctance among tenants to live nearby due to safety concerns.

💡Dilapidated

Dilapidated refers to a state of disrepair or decay, often used to describe buildings or infrastructure that has been neglected. The term is used in the script to describe the condition of buildings in Johannesburg's inner city, emphasizing the severity of the urban decay problem.

💡Tenant Turnover

Tenant turnover is the rate at which tenants leave and new ones move into a property. The script mentions high tenant turnover around hijacked buildings, indicating that the instability and crime associated with these areas drive people to move out frequently.

💡General Valuations Roll

The General Valuations Roll is a process by which a city council re-evaluates the value of all properties within its jurisdiction. In the script, it is mentioned that the city council of Johannesburg implemented this process in 2023, leading to significant increases in property values and, consequently, higher rates for property owners.

💡Affordable Housing

Affordable housing refers to housing that is cost-effective for people with moderate to low incomes. The script discusses how the increased rates resulting from the General Valuations Roll are making what was once considered affordable housing less so, affecting people earning between five and fifteen thousand Rand a month.

💡Problem Properties Task Team

The Problem Properties Task Team is a group within the city council that is supposed to address issues related to hijacked buildings. The script suggests that this team has been ineffective, indicating a need for a more coordinated approach involving multiple government departments to tackle the problem of hijacked buildings.

💡Stolen Utilities

Stolen utilities refer to the illegal use of services such as water and electricity without payment. The script mentions that hijacked buildings often lack these utilities legally, leading to financial losses for the council, which does not receive rates or payments for the stolen services.

💡Private Sector Collaboration

Private sector collaboration involves working with private businesses and individuals to achieve a common goal. In the context of the video, Angela Rivers suggests that the city council needs to collaborate with the private sector, which has experience dealing with hijacked properties, to effectively address the issue of urban decay.

Highlights

Inner city Johannesburg is now associated with dilapidated and hijacked buildings that have become crime hot spots.

Discussion on the impact of urban decay on service delivery and social economics in Johannesburg.

Angela Rivers from Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association provides insights on urban decay.

Dilapidation of inner city has worsened significantly in the last 10 years.

Wastage and misuse of funds meant for fixing infrastructure is a major issue.

Hijacked buildings, mostly owned by the municipality or provincial government, are at the core of deterioration.

Properties around hijacked buildings lose value and tenants are reluctant to stay nearby due to safety concerns.

High tenant turnover around hijacked buildings due to crime incidents.

Loss of property value in inner city is significant and alarming.

City council's General Valuations Roll 2023 has led to a threefold increase in property values, affecting affordability.

Example given of a small building's rates account increasing from 15,000 Rand to 50,000 Rand per month.

Hijacked buildings becoming hot spots for criminals, impacting surrounding property values.

The term 'problem properties' is used instead of 'hijacked buildings', seen as an understatement.

Ineffectiveness of the problem properties task team due to lack of coordinated government efforts.

Not everyone in hijacked buildings is a criminal; some are there due to lack of formal tenancy options.

Hijacked buildings result in loss of revenue for the council as they do not receive rates or utility payments.

Collaboration between the council and private sector is necessary to tackle the issue of hijacked buildings.

Private sector has valuable experience in dealing with hijacked properties and can assist the council.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome back to you slink another joburg

inner city is now associated with

dilapidated and hijacked buildings that

are now crime hot spots let's discuss

the impact on Service delivery and

social economics I'm joined by Angela

rivers from the Johannesburg property

owners and Managers Association this

morning Angela thank you so much for

your time continuing on with our Focus

from yesterday to today about the Urban

Decay that we are unfortunately

witnessing in our inner cities I mean

just take us back in terms of giving us

context in your view when did we really

start seeing more Urban Decay in terms

of our infrastructure our buildings

within our inner cities

good morning thank you so much for

having me on your show

um the deterioration of the inner city

has been going on um for quite a while

I'd say in the last 10 years it really

has deteriorated uh more than we've ever

seen before and for us the the big thing

is the amounts of wastage and that is

going through the city

um and the money that should be used to

fix infrastructure is being stolen or

squandered or misused

um you can see definitely I mean the

majority of the hijacked buildings

within the inner city belong to the

municipality or to the provincial

government and those are those are the

core of the the deterioration because

once you have a hijacked building the

properties around that start to lose

value tenants don't want to stay in the

buildings near hijacked buildings

because they can get robbed and they can

you know we've had a lot of incidences

where people in hijacked buildings are

shooting bullets through buildings that

are well managed and looked after so

refining that um a tenant turnover

around hijacked buildings is very high

and Angela when we talked sorry let me

just come in there when we talk then

about the the the loss of value

obviously there's a monetary value

attached to it I can't even fathom how

much that is in your view what are the

numbers looking like here

the numbers are really scary

um and uh in July this year the city

council implemented their General

valuations role 2023

um which basically they re-evalued all

the properties in Johannesburg I'm sure

a lot of people have got a bit of a

fight when they've got their Council

accounts now in at the end of July and

what we've seen is the majority of our

buildings in the inner city their values

have increased by three increased three

times by the city of Johannesburg to

give you an idea and we have one member

who has a very small building he's a new

developer it's got 30 units his rates

account was 15 000 Rand a month it's now

50 000 ran a month this is the

affordable housing market with people

who are earning between five and fifteen

thousand Rand a month

um so it's not like we're talking about

um you know high-end accommodation this

is affordable housing and it's just not

becoming affordable housing anymore

because these costs ultimately get

passed on to skin in one way or another

yeah does that answer your question yes

yes it does it does um Angela and I'm

also just worried about also these

hijacked Builders since we're talking

about it becoming hot spots uh you know

for criminals I saw you know an article

about the Antiquity municipality having

to demolish a building because it was

operating an illegal Tavern amongst

other things and we know that a lot of

wrongdoing goes on in there is there

anything that the police is doing to

assist when it comes to hijacked

buildings some of the criminal elements

that occur in these buildings because

like you said before they then

deteriorate the value of you know the

other buildings next to it but also the

area in its entity

absolutely and the city does have a they

they don't like to use the word hijack

building so the city prefers the term

problem properties which I think is a

total understatement and they do have a

problem pop properties task team which

has been really ineffective the main

reason being in order for the task team

to be effective and actually get into

these buildings and sort it out you have

to have the peace you've got to have

jmpd for buy law enforcement you have to

have the health departments you have to

have social services you have to have

um the home Affairs departments you need

every single government Department in

order to to tackle a hijacked building

but it's also very important to know to

notes and

um I've seen this quite a lot in a lot

of the conversations that I've had not

everybody that's living in a hijacked

building is a criminal some people are

there purely obesity they don't remit

the requirements of formal tenancy like

payslips and bank statements so this

kind of informal accommodation suits

their and they're able to they've got

somewhere to live which is also shows

the huge downfall in the city for

providing safe and secure housing for

people in their communities and the the

only way to tackle these problem

properties is to actually go in flat by

Flats do by the big thing is a lot of

these properties don't have water they

don't have electricity they are

unlivable and the way that

um the the tenants are treated by the

building hijackers is Criminal the

council doesn't get one cent from a

hijacked building so the council is also

losing money they're not getting rates

they're not getting paid for the water

that's being stolen and they're not

getting paid for this the electricity

that's being stolen so everybody suffers

from hijacked buildings and just before

I let you go you're about to emphasize

the port in terms of what you think

needs to be done uh in the interim then

what do you think can be done to solve

this problem and how long do you really

think fairly it can take

the the

that she needs to understand they cannot

do it alone they mean to the private

sector to help them Jay Perma Joe Palmer

members even non-j permanent members

have years and years of experience in

the inner city and dealing with our own

properties that have been hijacked over

the years and it's very difficult for

them to admit that they need our help or

to I mean I've sat in a meeting with the

council and they're asking to leave

because they they don't want our help

and they need you we have it's the only

way to the only way to tackle hijab

buildings is to work together in fact

anything to do with the city at the

moment because of the deterioration they

have to work with the city with the the

private sector yeah and that that only

solution I will leave it there thank you

so much for adding your voice to this

conversation