Marble Towers to be cordoned off within 72 hours, owners given 20 days to rectify compliance issues
· Citizen
Marble Towers will need to be closed and secured until it is able to prove to the municipality that it is fully compliant.
The High Court in Johannesburg made this ruling on Thursday in a compliance dispute between the owners of the building, Goldenrod Group, and the Johannesburg municipality.
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Marble Towers, originally named the Sanlam Centre, was targeted by the municipality during a 19 May service delivery operation due to what officials say was an outstanding municipal account totaling R14 million.
City officials also found a host of building regulation violations and threatened to demolish the illegal structures.
However, the court ruled that city could not yet demolish the structures without meeting legal requirements set out in the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.
Cordoned off within 72 hours
The court ordered that the owners cease any further construction work or renovations at the property.
The owners are also interdicted from “occupying or permitting the occupation or use” of any of the buildings deemed non-complaint by the city.
Marble Towers’ owners will be given 20 days to rectify the non-compliance issues, with the city able to take the “necessary” law enforcement steps should they fail to do so.
“The applicant shall, within 72 hours of this order, cordon off and/or seal all structures identified by the city as non-compliant.
“Structures on the applicant’s property shall remain cordoned off and secured, and no use or occupation of non-compliant structures shall occur pending compliance with this order and/or the approval of building plans and regulatory requirements,” the order reads.
Goldenrod was also ordered to pay the city’s legal cost in the matter.
‘Inner city belongs to the people’
Non-compliance issues identified by the city include a lack of building plans and violations of fire safety standards.
“This ruling sends a strong message that unlawful developments, non-compliance with safety standards, and disregard for municipal regulations will not be tolerated,” said community safety MMC Moshe Koma.
The ANC’s regional branch also celebrated the ruling to which mayor Dada Morero was the first respondent.
“The inner city belongs to the people of Johannesburg not to neglect, exploitation, or unlawful commercial activity that places human lives at risk.
“The rebuilding of the inner city cannot succeed while unlawful developments, non-compliant structures, hijacked buildings, and dangerous fire traps continue to threaten residents, workers, traders and commuters,” the ANC’s Johannesburg branch said.