A City of Johannesburg councillor was arrested on Wednesday as municipal officials inspected a city-owned site earmarked to house victims of the Albert Street fire. The councillor is from the Inkatha Freedom Party, which said he had been wrongfully arrested.

Twenty people were arrested at a Denver property owned by the City of Johannesburg on Wednesday, 6 September when authorities raided the site bought by the municipality in 2019 for R40-million. The intention had been to use it as an impoundment lot for the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD).

The city had considered the Denver property as a possible location to house victims of the 80 Albert Street fire on 31 August which claimed 77 lives in the hijacked, run-down Marshalltown building.

However, during an inspection, authorities found people at the site building illegal structures. The 20 people arrested included a city councillor. A police colonel was also implicated, but reportedly was not arrested because the officer was in Cape Town.

The city has embarked on a crackdown on all suspected hijacked buildings around Johannesburg following the Albert Street fire. After the arrests, Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said the city would take a firm stance against illegally occupied properties.

"Our approach to illegality is now driven with greater urgency and firmness. It's our intention to ensure that we prevent any further loss of life and disasters in the city as a result of illegally occupied and hijacked buildings," said Gwamanda....