City of Joburg cleans Small Street

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]Officials in the city of Johannesburg are continuing with the demolition of illegally built structures in the Jobbook CBD as part of the city's bylaw enforcement operations. It forms part of its broader efforts to clamp down on illegal occupation, unsafe buildings, and non-compliant structures in the inner city. News from Africa's Zora Shawana tracking that story for us. Uh and Zora, what we're seeing now is a very different scene to the almost chaos from earlier.

[00:00:32]Well, yes indeed, Michelle. Uh, city officials are busy demolishing structures that are attached to uh many buildings um here in the city center.

[00:00:42]So, uh we might have to move a little bit where we are standing. So we understand that uh according to the mayor this operation is intended to improve public safety um address illegal building activity and uh ensure compliance with municipal uh bylaws. In fact, I'm going to bring in uh the executive mayor of the city of Johannesburg, councelor Dada Morero, so that he can speak to us about this particular operation. Mayor, thank you very much for your time. As you have said earlier on, this place looks cleaner that it usually looks.

[00:01:18]>> Yes, I think we as part of our program on bylaw enforcement.

[00:01:25]Uh we are continuing to enforce the bylaws, deal with illegal structures, illegal trade and all other issues that are illegal so that we can restore law and order. And once you are done in this precinct, we will be moving and preparing for the next one just uh along the marble hall. So we'll be implementing another program there. So ideally the work we're doing is enforcements of the virus and restoring law and order in the C CBD of Chinese.

[00:01:59]>> And I know there are many structures that you have demolished since yesterday. Do you perhaps have a figure of how many you've demolished so far?

[00:02:06]>> No. Well, I don't have the figures yet.

[00:02:08]The officials are still to give us reports on the work that they've done.

[00:02:13]But so far, we're quite happy that we're moving very well in restoring loyal order and hopefully home affairs will also be joining us quite soon to help us with those that are illegal and undocumented.

[00:02:27]But we can deal with these issues in the inner city.

[00:02:30]>> Yeah. And how are the business operators receiving this this operation? And I understand that uh two buildings that are not far from where we are uh they were told to bring some sort of a plan to show that really they um they are legally here. Uh what what what how have they been receiving all of this?

[00:02:48]>> Well, most businesses are happy with the fact that we are acting uh we're bringing order. There's movement of people is now free. Yes, there's three structures just behind us here where we're still waiting to confirm their legal standing and once that is confirmed, we'll know of the course of action that we should take. But so far, we have cleaned small street. We going to other blocks. Uh but we must prepare.

[00:03:16]So we not just come in, we prepare thoroughly the teams and everything before we go in. So the next action will be just around Marble Hall that area and that precinct >> and do we by any chance know how long these operations will be going on for particularly in the city mayor >> not continuous it will be throughout the year but the trick is to ensure that we prepare properly our teams internally so that when we pounce we are able to sustain uh the campaign even now we need JPD teams that will be here throughout out there to ensure that no one takes advantage of our nonpresence to try and rebuild the legal structures. Thank you very much. That is of course the Jober executive mayor Dad Morero telling us about an operation that started yesterday and he also highlighted that it is expected to continue throughout the year in the city. Michelle, thanks for that update.