Leader of the African Transformation Movement (ATM), Vuyo Zungula has written to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, urging him to begin the process of expropriating unused and abandoned government buildings to address critical shortage of properties in the public interest.
Amid a slew of hijacked buildings crises in the country’s major city centres, on Monday, Zungula indicated the need to take back what belongs to the government and redistribute these back to the people.
“Dear Honourable Minister, in light of the newly assented Expropriation Act, which grants government the tools to address critical land and property issues in the public interest, I write to urge your department to prioritise the expropriation of abandoned and hijacked buildings in key urban areas such as South Beach (Point) in Durban, Hillbrow in Johannesburg, and the various CBDs across the country,” he wrote.
Zungula said these hijacked and abandoned buildings attract high levels of criminality, which in turn sets the government back in having to enforce law and order with limited resources.
“These neglected spaces have become hotbeds of rampant crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and prostitution, creating environments of extreme degradation and lawlessness.
“Families and individuals living in these areas are subjected to a perpetual state of insecurity and fear, while criminals operate unchecked, further destabilising communities,” he lamented.
As a result, the ATM wants the minister to use the powers bestowed on him through the recently enacted Land Expropriation Bill.
However, this has pitted the DA against the ANC in another Government of National Unity (GNU) fight over new legislation.
Last week, things came to a halt when the DA declared a formal dispute with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s GNU.
DA leader John Steenhuisen indicated that his party wanted an “urgent reset in relations” between itself and the ANC in the GNU.
This was triggered by Ramaphosa’s decision to sign the Expropriation Bill into law, despite a legal opinion submitted to him by Macpherson, who said the Bill was unconstitutional.
“We must expropriate without compensation all neglected, abandoned, and hijacked buildings and convert them to world-class student accommodation to alleviate the student housing crisis. NSFAS is drowning in over R40 million debt from unpaid rent, unable to meet the soaring costs of accommodation, while thousands of students are left stranded without safe or affordable housing,” Zungula further stated.
He said by re-purposing these buildings, the government can provide a sustainable and cost-effective solution that will ease the burden on NSFAS, adding that beyond addressing the student accommodation crisis, these buildings can also be re-purposed for other critical uses that serve the public interest.
“Options include converting them into affordable housing to tackle the housing crisis, providing affordable spaces for SMMEs to drive economic activity, establishing skills development centres to empower communities with education and training, and creating homes of safety for children and victims of violence. These initiatives would not only maximise the utility of these properties but also uplift vulnerable populations and stimulate inclusive growth,” he said.
Furthermore, Zungula is of the view that the government can save billions in rental money that it spends on hiring private property.
“It is also important to highlight that the State currently relies on over 2 000 landlords and spends approximately R5 billion annually on rent,” he said.