The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF) and the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) have raised fresh concerns over the prolonged Johannesburg Metro Centre closure and the neglect of the City of Johannesburg’s planning archive. The Braamfontein-based building has been shut since September 2023 over reported structural problems. No public plan has yet been announced for the safe relocation and preservation of the planning archive.
ALSO READ: Pretoria golf course robbery: player shoots suspect after armed attack
Why the Johannesburg Metro Centre closure matters
The Metro Centre houses the City of Johannesburg’s planning archive. The archive contains property records, building plans, township establishment documents and other materials that property professionals, attorneys, developers and homeowners rely on every day. Without access, applications for building approvals, township establishments and property due diligence are stalling.
What JHF and JCA are demanding
According to Yunus Chamda, coordinator of the JCA, and David Fleminger, chairperson of the JHF, the situation is unacceptable. They say the documents needed for city planning, property transactions and development are being placed at risk. The City of Johannesburg has responded in the past, but the organisations say there are still no clear timelines, no full relocation plan and no public access to status reports.
What happens next
JHF and JCA warn that continued neglect threatens the city’s planning processes and could damage developers, attorneys, homeowners and prospective buyers. The organisations have signalled that public pressure may be needed to force the city to act on the Johannesburg Metro Centre closure and the protection of the planning archive.
Sources: Nuusflits, City of Johannesburg, Johannesburg Heritage Foundation
