Joburg city manager denies report that he accepted responsibility for Alexandra demolitions
City of Johannesburg manager Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni has denied reports that he accepted responsibility for the demolition of alleged illegal structures in Alexandra last week.
"Dr Lukhwareni did not indicate that he had authorised the demolition of the structures in Alexandra. This must be categorically understood," The City stated in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon.
"Lukhwareni sought to explain that, as the City Manager, he assumes ultimate responsibility for the administration in Johannesburg. The City Manager did not personally issue the instruction for demolitions to take place, he felt compelled as the Accounting Officer of the City to be accountable for administrative activities in City."
The municipality further clarified that the instruction to demolish illegal structures in the township of Alexandra came from the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and, as a result, Mayor Herman Mashaba has since requested Lukhwareni to initiate an independent investigation into the decision-making process that led to the "the unfortunate events of last Friday".
The statement comes after a media report posted to Twitter claimed the city manager told the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Wednesday that the demolitions took place under the perception that the homes were unoccupied and incomplete.