The bustling streets of Johannesburg CBD witnessed yet another blaze as fire engulfed a building at the corner of Kerk and Polly Streets.
Watch: Rescuers at the scene of another building fire in Johannesburg CBD
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With flames leaping and smoke billowing into the sky, fire and rescue services rushed to the scene, launching a full-scale operation to douse the inferno and prevent further casualties.
As details emerge and the firefighting efforts continue, the cause of the fire remains shrouded in mystery.
This incident throws the spotlight back onto the city’s grappling with the menace of hijacked buildings. The memories of last year’s Marshalltown tragedy, which claimed over 70 lives due to arson in a hijacked building, are still fresh.
The confession of Sithembiso Mdlalose, the individual behind the devastating fire, has only added fuel to the ongoing concerns about building safety and illegal occupation in Johannesburg.
As Johannesburg reels from yet another blow, the issue of illegal building occupations takes centre stage.
Despite the clear danger these buildings pose, the Johannesburg High Court last week made a decisive move by dismissing an application for the eviction of illegal occupants from two buildings.
In the court’s view, there was no “imminent danger” to the structures, leaving city authorities in a quandary over how to tackle the complex issue of providing alternative accommodation to these illegal occupiers.