The City of Johannesburg has started evicting NGOs illegally occupying two buildings in the CBD.
|||The City of Johannesburg has started evicting non-governmental organisations (NGOs) illegally occupying two buildings in the CBD, it said on Wednesday.
The evictions began at Braam Fischer Towers, in Albert street, at 9am on Wednesday and were going smoothly, said spokesman Nkosinathi Nkabinde.
“We haven't had any reports of violence or resistance from those evicted,” he said.
Evictions were also scheduled at the Nedbank Mall Building, in Commissioner Street. These would start as soon as the Braam Fischer one had been completed, which would probably be on Wednesday afternoon.
Nkabinde said the two privately-owned buildings were sub-let to the NGOs through the city's Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) in 2009. The lease agreements ended last September and November.
The organisations accommodated at the Braam Fischer Towers site refused to vacate the building, instead occupying it illegally.
Nkabinde said the NGOs were notified in April 2011 that the lease was about to expire.
“Following an unsuccessful court battle to legitimise their illegal occupancy, the NGOs were ordered to vacate the office space on 30 June 2012,” he said. – Sapa