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The Johannesburg Metro Centre buildings have turned into a death trap due to a litany of safety hazards, structural defects, fire risks and electrical non-compliance. Yet, those responsible for the buildings have faced no accountability for the dire situation.
A 2019 report by engineers, commissioned by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) – the owners of the buildings – painted a bleak picture of decades of neglect and maintenance lapses. The report detailed the severity of the risks facing the buildings' occupants, including injuries and even death.
The report also revealed that the JPC knew the buildings were a fire hazard before a fire erupted on the council building's ground floor three weeks ago. In 2019, engineers warned that the fire suppression system's cabling had been intentionally severed while there was no fire compliance certificate and no records of the buildings with the fire department.
