Tragedy Strikes Johannesburg: Deadly Fire Claims Lives in Hijacked Building

Many buildings in Johannesburg, South Africa, known as "hijacked buildings," are deemed unfit to live in and are occupied by families paying rent to criminal gangs. These buildings lack basic amenities such as running water, toilets, and legal electricity connections, making them highly susceptible to fires. The city center of Johannesburg has seen an exodus of businesses, leaving behind abandoned commercial buildings that have been converted into low-rent apartments. The housing shortage in South Africa, coupled with high levels of crime and violence in the city center, has created a dangerous and unequal living situation for the occupants of these hijacked buildings.