The deteriorating state of the Metro Police building in the Verulam CBD has sparked renewed concern, with ward 106 councillor, Johnson Chetty, calling for urgent intervention to address what he describes as years of neglect and a lack of accountability.

The more than 100-year-old building, regarded as part of Verulam’s rich heritage, once housed key municipal law enforcement staff and is protected as an Amafa heritage site.

However, the historic structure has stood largely abandoned for the past six to seven years after being deemed unsafe for occupation. Today, the property bears little resemblance to the fully functional administrative facility it once was. Roof sections have collapsed, offices have been left to decay, and vegetation has overtaken much of the site. Chetty said he has repeatedly raised concerns about the condition of the building over the years but was met with little progress.

“I have created email threads regarding getting this place renovated, and I was getting nowhere,” he said.

According to Chetty, discussions nearly a decade ago suggested that approximately R10 million had been earmarked for renovations, although he stressed this was never officially confirmed and no work ever materialised.

The matter resurfaced about three weeks ago during a meeting between councillors and the Metro Police commissioner.

It was there, Chetty said, that he learned for the first time that the building is not owned by Metro Police but falls under the municipality’s Real Estate Unit.

“I was very peeved at that meeting because almost 10 years after I raised this matter, I get told that it’s not a Metro Police building. It’s a real estate building. Why wasn’t I told at the outset?” he said.

Chetty believes the information should have been disclosed much earlier, as it would have allowed him to direct his concerns to the appropriate municipal department.

He questioned why Metro Police, as the primary occupant of the building, had not exerted greater pressure on the property’s owners to ensure it was properly maintained.

“They’re the anchor tenant there. They have got rights, and they did nothing about holding that department accountable to resolving this,” he said.

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Chetty explained that because the structure is protected as a heritage building, any restoration work would need to comply with Amafa’s heritage conservation requirements.

However, he believes this should not have prevented the municipality from maintaining the property before it deteriorated beyond repair. Instead of restoring the existing facility, Metro Police relocated its staff after the building became unsafe.

Officers now operate from a temporary mobile station comprising prefabricated offices situated adjacent to the old Metro Police building in the Verulam CBD.

A Metro Police employee, who requested not to be named, confirmed that staff vacated the building after parts of the roof began collapsing.

“One day, we were having a meeting, and it just caved in. So, then they had to move us out,” the employee said.

The employee described the once-impressive building as beyond saving. The employee added, “It’s full of worms, rats, everything inside. It’s a very beautiful building, but I don’t think the structure is sound anymore.”

Chetty said the abandoned building now joins other neglected municipal properties in Verulam, including the long-standing concerns surrounding Ottawa House.

He believes greater co-ordination between municipal departments is needed to prevent public assets from falling into disrepair and to ensure responsibility for their maintenance is clearly defined.

With the building continuing to deteriorate, concerns remain over whether the century-old landmark can still be restored or whether demolition will ultimately become the only viable option.

Its decline has also raised concerns about the preservation of one of Verulam’s historic buildings and the municipality’s commitment to protecting its built heritage.

The eThekwini Municipality was approached for comment, however, no response was received at the time of publication.