Msunduzi promises to demolish derelict buildings

Msunduzi Municipality says it's planning to demolish some of the problematic buildings in Pietermaritzburg if their owners do nothing to fix them. The city and the Department of Cooperative Governance have been cracking down on run down properties in the CBD, saying they have identified 13. There are concerns some of the buildings may end up in the hands of criminals. The city's Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla says they are tracking down some of the owners. "When we implement our policies towards dilapidated buildings, because we do have by-laws, part of that is to force the owners to do something about their buildings because we don't want something that does not look well in the city, especially in the CBD. "If for any reason they fail to maintain, renovate, refurbish their buildings then the city is left with no choice but to expropriate them or to demolish."