The DA in Johannesburg says the city faces many challenges regarding hijacked buildings, including finding alternative accommodation for their occupants. These remarks come at a time when political parties are preparing for the 2026 local government elections and are trying to come up with the best solutions for reclaiming the inner city. “One of the city’s most critical failures remains the absence of temporary emergency accommodation, which the city is constitutionally obliged to provide.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the fight for a safe and functional inner city cannot be won in silos. “Law enforcement powers are spread across multiple departments, and only an integrated approach can be effective. “At the same time, other CBDs across Johannesburg cannot be ignored or left to decline through unmanaged urban sprawl,” she said.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the metro must urgently deal with the rising number of homeless people in the city. “The DA had a clear plan to re-energise the inner city in 2016, before the then DA mayor resigned from the DA and as mayor to form his own political party and handed the city back to the ANC. “We remain committed to revitalising the inner city and all CBDs across Johannesburg. When Helen Zille becomes mayor in 2026 with an outright majority, Johannesburg will once again be turned around, as it was when she assumed office in 2006,” she said.
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