By Thapelo Molefe
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said on Thursday that activist groups were obstructing government attempts to reclaim hundreds of hijacked state buildings, warning that lives were placed at risk as derelict properties deteriorated.
Responding to questions during a media briefing, Macpherson said that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) currently has 386 hijacked buildings on its books.
“Out of the total package of properties that we own, 88,000, we have 386 buildings that are hijacked,” he said, adding that the scale was relatively small compared to the portfolio but deeply concerning given the ongoing safety hazards.
Macpherson said despite the dangers posed by the buildings, government faces fierce resistance from activist groups when attempting to reclaim them.
“We are being fought at every turn by groupings, by advocacy organisations that are happy for the status quo of those derelict and hijacked buildings to
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