Johannesburg's City Centre: A Crisis Ahead of the G20 Summit

Mon Nov 10 2025 16:42:31 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Johannesburg prepares to host the G20 summit, the city's center grapples with severe issues of neglect, crime, and unsafe living conditions in derelict buildings. Eyewitness reports highlight the struggles of residents and the challenges faced by authorities.

With the G20 summit approaching, Johannesburg's city center reveals a grim reality of derelict buildings overrun by criminal activities and inadequate living conditions. Residents express concern over safety and sanitation, while the city struggles to address these pressing issues.

In just under a fortnight, leaders from some of the world's major economies will gather in South Africa's economic heartland, Johannesburg, for the G20 summit.

But just a few kilometres from the spruced-up, highly secure venue is a city centre which the authorities are struggling to improve and keep safe.

They face major challenges in cleaning up more than 100 derelict buildings, many plagued by rubbish and open sewage, some of which have been taken over by criminal gangs.

There's guns, there's drugs, there's prostitutes, there's everything here, said Nelson Khetani, a resident of a building known as MBV1, located in Joubert Park.

Neglect and a lack of maintenance have left vandalised communal kitchens stripped of their fittings, while overflowing human waste covers parts of what used to be the laundry area.

Mr Khetani told the BBC that rooms in MBV1 had been hijacked, where spaces or entire residential units are taken over and controlled by criminals to collect rent.

The BBC has confirmed that there are 102 derelict or abandoned buildings in the inner city, but other reports suggest the situation is far worse, with many of these being unfit for human habitation.

The state of the city was on the mind of President Cyril Ramaphosa when addressing the city council. I found the city filthy, he stated, highlighting the number of abandoned buildings and the lack of taxes being paid.

Last month, the city council initiated a clean-up campaign targeting lawlessness and illegal activities, yet problems persist. The tragic fire in a derelict building that killed 76 people two years ago was supposed to spur action but has led to little change.

Many residents are left without basic utilities. At Vannin Court, for instance, Sinethemba Maqoma noted that their rooms lack running water and electricity, forcing them to rely on portable stoves for cooking.

With allegations of corruption complicating efforts to address the crisis, former hijackers reveal how the drug trade is intricately woven into the fabric of these neglected buildings.

Johannesburg's city council did not respond to requests for clarification on the state of water supply or building conditions, leaving residents worried about their future as the G20 summit approaches.