The Democratic Alliance (DA) is alarmed that, despite the recent relocation of Development Planning staff, the City of Johannesburg still has no clear plan to retrieve vital building plans and development records trapped inside the condemned Metro Centre.
Access to the building remains restricted, and during an unannounced oversight visit on 27 June, no officials at the new Development Planning offices could confirm how or when these irreplaceable records will be recovered.
These documents some dating back decades are critical for development approvals, zoning enforcement, legal processes, and preserving Johannesburg’s urban history. Without urgent action, they remain at risk of further damage due to moisture, vermin, and vandalism.
During the DA’s visit to the newly established offices at Newtown Junction, DA Shadow MMC Cllr Daniel Schay noted improvements in staff consolidation, after months of operational delays caused by decentralised locations. However, the new site remains incomplete, and officials indicated it may take another 2 to 4 weeks to reach full functionality.
While the new offices include space for storage and plans to digitise the city’s archives, these are hollow promises if the City cannot retrieve the original records. The Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), which oversees the condemned building, has yet to provide any viable access or recovery plan.
The DA calls on the MMC for Development Planning and JPC to:
• Urgently develop and publish a plan for retrieving records from the Metro Centre;
• Deploy qualified personnel and resources to ensure the operation is conducted safely and professionally;
• Commit to a public timeline for digitisation and secure archiving of all recovered documents.
The DA first raised this concern in Council in November 2024 and will continue to apply pressure. Preserving these records is not merely administrative it is fundamental to good governance, legal certainty, and investor confidence in Johannesburg’s future.