This week, with numerous operations taking place throughout the city, it was all hands-on deck for the Department's Single Law Enforcement Unit and Building Development Management Inspectors.

Yesterday, the Building Inspectors of the Department participated in a joint enforcement operation with the Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM) Region A office. The operations concentrated on businesses operating in Diepsloot and Fourways whose structures had been built illegally. The transgressors were served with notices. 

Building inspection teams from the Department are spread out around the city, and their primary job is to make sure that all constructions adhere to the National Building Regulations, Codes of Practice, and are built in accordance with approved building plans.

Unfortunately, this sometimes come at a cost. For example, earlier this week, in Region E, some members of the public attacked the Department's enforcement staff after they attempted to carry out a demolition order on illegally constructed and vacant structures that had been placed there on municipally owned land.

MMC Belinda Echeozonjoku denounces these assaults on officials and urges the city's residents to assist our officials in identifying transgressions of city bylaws and legislation. The belief that the law can be ignored with impunity cannot be tolerated.

Despite some community members' violent behaviour, our officials have not been discouraged. They went on to issue bylaw contravention notices to those who had erected structures unlawfully along the Jukskei River flood line that has put residents' health and safety at risk. 

“The Departments enforcement staff will be conducting regular bylaw enforcement operations throughout the City. We thus urge members of the public to comply with the City’s bylaws at all times to avoid being on the wrong side of the law. We also want members of the public to continue practicing good citizenship by reporting wrongdoing to our officials.” Said Cllr Echeozonjoku.

Members of the public can report any land use contraventions to the following email addresses Attached

 

Issued by The City of Johannesburg