The Gauteng government spends more than R30m a month renting properties as some of its own buildings are so derelict and unsafe they had to be evacuated.

The province owns 18 properties in the Johannesburg inner city, with nine of them unoccupied due to occupational safety concerns.

Refurbishment of the buildings has yet to start but it is estimated it will cost about R7bn.

Infrastructure department spokesperson Bongiwe Gambu told Sowetan that in the previous financial year, the department spent over R357m renting property for the provincial government.

Gauteng has had to enter into lease agreements with other landlords as half of its buildings cannot be used because they were not compliant with occupational health and safety standards.

The safety of the buildings came under the spotlight after a fire razed the Bank of Lisbon building in September last year, resulting in the death of three firefighters.

The building had housed government employees from different departments.

In March this year, the Gauteng government announced plans to demolish the building, and said that a contractor for the job had already been appointed.