JOHANNESBURG In late August, a devastating fire in a dilapidated apartment building in Johannesburg claimed the lives of 77 people. The fire, one of the deadliest in South Africa’s history, was a stark reminder of the substandard living conditions faced by the city’s most vulnerable residents and underscored the country’s urban housing crisis.
In the aftermath of the devastating Marshalltown fire, there is a growing need to rethink Johannesburg’s future. Daily Maverick’s Ferial Haffajee, together with human rights activist Andy Chinnah and architect Heather Dodd, discussed the challenges facing the inner city and some steps required.