Johannesburg - The Speaker of the Johannesburg Municipal Council, Colleen Makhubele, has confirmed that staff and officials at the Johannesburg Metro Centre will be moved to alternative buildings.
An expert report had declared the building unsafe for human occupation. There were problems with the fire detectors, the wiring of the building, and other structural problems. The staff at the metro centre had also complained about feeling unsafe.
‘’The Legislature in the City of Joburg is responsible for ensuring the accountability of government through effective oversight and scrutiny. It was through this important oversight function that we can now announce that executives have now commissioned the Metro Centre Building project to vacate all officials and councils in order to rebuild and renovate,’’ Makhubele said.
She said the Office of the Speaker has strongly called for the lives and safety of officials, councillors, visitors and residents who come to the building to be prioritised.
‘’The unsafe and non-compliant Metro Centre building, which caught fire earlier this year to be renovated and rebuilt,’’ Makhubele said.
Makhubele said she was excited about the breakthrough in moving the staff out of the metro centre. She said the speaker’s office had an important oversight role.
‘’One of the most important functions of the Speaker is to build and strengthen democratic participation in local government. In this regard, the Speaker’s responsibility is to ensure that the municipality and its council are accessible and that local communities are able to participate in the affairs of the council and the municipality. This ensures that communities experience that their voice is heard and heeded by council and government,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Makhubele said the legislature had successfully conducted 18 IDP sessions across the seven regions of the city, including targeted sessions with groupings of stakeholders of interest such as women’s sessions, youth, faith-based organisations, people living with disabilities, the business sector, etc. These public participations led to the State of the City Address (SOCA) and the Budget Presentation for 2023/24.
The Star