The area surrounding the Alexandra magistrate’s court has become a flashpoint for safety and hygiene concerns, amid the deteriorating state of public infrastructure.
A lawyer, who opted to remain anonymous when talking to TimesLIVE, raised the alarm regarding what he described as a health hazard.
“The environment has reached a breaking point,” he said. “The presence of waste and dysfunctional sanitation facilities has created an environment that is dirty and risky to public health.”
The court building has exposed and loosely hanging electrical cables that pose an immediate electrocution risk to pedestrians and visitors to the public building.
Heavy vehicles use the road, at times parking in front of the court and blocking the road, disrupting the punctuality required for court proceedings.
“It is wrong. We need someone from the traffic department to engage here every day,” added the lawyer.
Traders selling prepared food outside the court say the unsanitary conditions and foul odours are ruining their livelihoods.
One of the vendors, Phindile Moyo, said the filth discourages customers from stopping by.
“The stench and the filth are costing us our business and endangering our health,” Moyo said. “The contaminated water running down the street and the general lack of hygiene make it easy for us to fall ill.”
Moyo said she is unsure where to report the issue since she rents her stall space.
“I haven’t tried to file a formal complaint because I don’t know who to approach. I’m just trying to make a living. Even my landlord hasn’t addressed the filth. We feel helpless because we have no other way to survive.”
Is the Alexandra Magistrates Court a public building or a dumping site?#illegaldumping #CoJ #Alexandra pic.twitter.com/JcBzyxpI9M
— Emanuel Majola (@majola_emanuel) April 29, 2026
The City of Johannesburg has acknowledged the grim conditions but points to jurisdictional and logistical hurdles. City spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said cleanup operations are ongoing.
“The primary obstacle appears to be the Old Council Building,” he said. “The city identified this structure as the source of wastewater flooding the streets. However, until the human settlements department finds alternative accommodation for those living in the building, the leaks cannot be permanently plugged.”
Modingoane said this had created a “vicious cycle” for the Johannesburg Roads Agency, which argues that any attempt to resurface the roads is a waste of taxpayers’ money until the area is dry.
TimesLIVE
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