According to Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, six illegal shop owners residing at the burnt-down Currie Court building in Quigney have vacated the premises after being issued warnings from law enforcement.
Currie Court, which caught fire in 2019 allegedly due to illegal electricity connections (‘Devastation of Currie Street fire’, Daily Dispatch, August 8 2019), had since been turned into an illegal shelter for homeless residents.
The city said law enforcement agencies had been warning vagrants and criminals not to occupy the building. “Owners of the building have recently approached the city and declared the plans to renovate the burnt-down building,” said BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya.
“Towards the end of 2021, judge Murray Lowe gave the owners of the building 180 days for the building to be either renovated, condemned or demolished .”
Ngwenya said the metro was determined to address the issue of the building as it was believed to be a den for illegal activities since being illegally inhabited.
“The building is not only an eyesore since it’s located in a busy beachfront road that we have just renovated, but also is a danger to locals as continuous usage in such a state can lead to a disaster. Whilst we understand that residents want to see this resolved speedily, we are mindful of the fact that we should follow the bylaws to the letter,” he said.
“We have been undertaking various operations in this and other similar structures and today’s evictions speak action into our plans of reclaiming our city.”
CLEAN UP: Currie Court in Quigney was burnt down in 2019 and the ruins have been taken over by squatters Picture: Daily Dispatch/Supplied
