EDITORIAL: A tragedy of indifference and dysfunction

The fire that gutted a hijacked multistorey building in the Johannesburg city centre, claiming the lives of more than 70 people, is horrific and heartbreaking. It is also a tragic reminder of the deep-rooted, complex and multifaceted problems that afflict our urban spaces, especially in downtown Joburg.

The building is a five-storey structure that has been abandoned by its owners — the City of Johannesburg — and illegally occupied by hundreds of homeless people. Inside, it resembled an informal settlement, with makeshift rooms, overcrowded spaces and poor sanitation. It was a tinderbox, with no fire safety measures, no emergency exits, and no water supply.

In this most desperate of scenes, a fire started in the early hours of Thursday morning, when most of the occupants were asleep. It spread through the building, trapping and suffocating to death many people who could not escape. Some were forced to jump from the windows to save themselves, others were rescued by firefighters and neighbours, and many were burnt beyond recognition.

The response has exposed the vulnerabilities of immigrants in SA. Instead of showing compassion, some officials and politicians have used the tragedy as an opportunity to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment.

“Whether it’s an indication that there is a housing problem, no it’s not, because the majority of those people who stay and reside in hijacked buildings are not South African and they are not in this country legally and the government cannot provide housing to illegal immigrants,” said minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

This is an egregious thing for the minister to say. Aside from its gross insensitivity, it is also dangerous and divisive. How can she possibly know the immigration status of these hundreds of people? With such comments, it is hard to avoid the impression that the government is disinterested in the housing problem in SA.

The tragedy has not only exposed the state’s indifference, it has revealed failures in how we address housing and urban development. We cannot allow city officials and politicians to reduce the tragedy to a shrug of the shoulders, or to dare to suggest that the only tool they have in their arsenal is eviction. Buildings are hijacked because they are next to worthless to their owners. Some are owned by people who have given up on a city unwilling to provide services such as refuse removal, security, sewerage, water and energy supply. Creating green spaces where children can play, schools and public transport — these are the city’s tools, not evictions.

This appalling tragedy should instil a sense of urgency for action and co-operation among all stakeholders: national and provincial government, the City, property owners, developers, NGOs, human rights groups, civil society and residents.

We have let our beloved Joburg decay so badly that a religious leader used a service earlier this year to protest against the filth that litters the streets outside the Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin, where Desmond Tutu once served as dean. Joburg has always been a city of immigrants, a city for people seeking a better future — eGoli. Now is the time for sorrow, but tomorrow, more than ever, let’s fix our big, ugly, beautiful city.