Today we publish the results of an investigation focusing on problem buildings in Port Elizabeth.
The issue has received fair publicity in the last two years, more so in recent months after police blitzed a handful of notorious properties and declared they were known havens for criminals.
This crackdown flushed out a few suspects and turned the spotlight on the darker side of urban decay.
It has taken two months of persistent digging to get some answers and, perhaps unsurprisingly, our findings point to laboured bureaucracy as the culprit.
The various parties in the value chain responsible for passing plans and encouraging responsible development were poor at collaborating, or simply were incapable of fulfilling their respective functions.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority emerges as a key stumbling block.While its role of preserving the historical integrity of the city ’s old buildings is vital, this cannot be at the expense of sustainable and very necessary rejuvenation.
The municipality has not always played its role, either, and indications are that heritage and metro officials have seldom pulled in the same direction. Red tape is an economic killer.
Which is why moves to enact a problem building by-law is a welcome development. There is ample evidence of the benefits to restoring old sites and breathing new life into stale and unsafe parts of the urban environment.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency did this for years. That same commitment to sustainable development is needed now more than ever.
Thus, the renewed focus on problem buildings by relevant authorities can only serve to uplift what has otherwise become dangerous and decrepit.