With the G20 summit just two weeks away, Johannesburg, South Africa’s financial hub, is preparing to welcome global leaders. While the summit venue is polished, secure, and ready for international attention, just a few kilometres away, the inner city paints a very different picture. Derelict buildings, crime, and neglect dominate the streets, creating an urgent challenge for city authorities.
Derelict Buildings and Hijacking
Over 100 abandoned buildings occupy roughly 18 square kilometres of Johannesburg’s inner city. Many of these structures have been hijacked, meaning criminal gangs take over rooms or entire buildings. Residents often pay rent to these gangs, while illegal activities such as drug production and sales take place in other parts of the buildings. Nelson Khetani, who lives at MBV1 in Joubert Park, says, “There’s guns, drugs, prostitutes, everything here.”
Vannin Court, another derelict building, is home to residents like Sinethemba Maqoma and Sinqhiwe Goodman Sithole, who live without electricity or running water. They rely on portable gas stoves for cooking and solar lights for illumination. The buildings are unsafe, unsanitary, and at constant risk of fire. Basements are filled with human waste, stagnant water, and abandoned vehicles, creating dangerous living conditions.
Historical Context and Housing Pressure
Johannesburg’s housing crisis is rooted in post-apartheid urban migration. Since 1994, many residents moved from townships to the inner city for work opportunities, placing immense pressure on available housing. Coupled with under-investment and the departure of wealthier landlords, many buildings fell into disrepair, becoming hotspots for crime and hijacking.
Nyaope, a highly addictive street drug containing low-grade heroin, cannabis, and sometimes toxic additives, is commonly produced and sold in these hijacked buildings. Former gang members describe these structures as both living spaces and drug production hubs, often protected by corrupt arrangements with city officials or police.
Challenges for Authorities
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called the state of the inner city “filthy,” highlighting abandoned buildings that fail to pay taxes or rates. Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero insists the city is ready for the G20, with initiatives targeting lawlessness, illegal activities, and hijacked properties. Yet, progress remains slow.
Evicting residents is complicated and costly. South Africa’s constitution protects the right to housing, requiring authorities to provide alternative accommodation before evictions. Large-scale evictions are expensive, often costing millions of rands, and could create a mass homelessness crisis. Every eviction also requires a court order, which can slow down the process further.
Life Inside the Derelict Buildings
Residents like Khetani have lived in these buildings for years. At MBV1, temporary accommodation has effectively become permanent. “The city has no money and nobody cares,” he says. Residents at Vannin Court flush toilets with buckets of water, cook on gas stoves without fire extinguishers, and navigate dark, littered stairwells. Despite these conditions, many have nowhere else to go.
Looking Ahead
With the G20 summit approaching, Johannesburg faces the dual challenge of hosting world leaders while addressing long-standing urban decay. Without significant investment, legal reform, and political will, residents will continue to live in unsafe, unhygienic conditions, and the city centre will remain a stark contrast to the polished summit venue.