The portfolio head of Development Planning, Thapelo Amad has called for speedy completion of the critical maintenance work scheduled for the Metro Link building at the municipal headquarters in Braamfontein.

“A service level agreement between Development Planning and the Johannesburg Property Company has been finalised and signed, and priority has been sought for maintenance work to start as soon as possible,” the MMC explains.

The Metro Link was forced to temporarily shut its doors in November last year following such a sanction by the Department of Employment and Labour. This after the office block allegedly failed to comply with Covid-19 regulations for public buildings. Employees working there had also complained of a lack of adequate ventilation and frequent water leaks.

Following a supervisory visit to the Metro Link, Cllr Amad has ratified the decision by the Department of Employment and Labour for the building to have significant improvements urgently made.

The MMC stresses that it’s important to have repairs on 158 Civic Boulevard finished within the proposed timeframes.

“A fully functional Metro Link is important for the City, in that it is the backbone of the construction industry in Johannesburg,” he says.

Refurbishing the Metro Link is part of Development Planning’s raft of new measures to combat the vicious spread of the Coronavirus. Once work is complete, the building – an interface between the public and the City’s directorates of Building Development Management, Land Use Development Management and Corporate Geo-Informatics – will offer residents speedy and high-quality services.

Cllr Amad says until the necessary maintenance work is done, employees at the Metro Link will be offered alternative office space at Thuso House on Jorissen Street.

“Professionals and residents are dependent on the Metro Link and it would be in the City’s best interest for the building to be prioritised for repairs,” he emphasises.

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