{"id":810015,"date":"2025-02-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=810015"},"modified":"2025-02-03T16:51:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T14:51:29","slug":"south-africas-capital-is-riddled-with-hijacked-buildings-and-rising-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/810015\/south-africas-capital-is-riddled-with-hijacked-buildings-and-rising-crime\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa\u2019s capital is riddled with hijacked buildings and rising crime"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The City of Tshwane is grappling with the proliferation of hijacked buildings, which has led to crumbling buildings and rampant crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This issue, which has seeped into both commercial and residential areas, represents not just a structural blight but a significant threat to public safety and economic stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya told Newszroom Afrika<\/a> that the central business district (CBD) is being “hijacked from all sides”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some buildings have become drug dens, others are neglected private properties, and some are city-owned buildings left to fall apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To fix this, the city has started a program called “Reclaim the City.” The plan includes enforcing bylaws, relocating informal traders to designated spaces, addressing illegal immigration, and tackling the scourge of drugs and unregulated scrapyards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, despite these efforts, the city remains unaware of the exact number of hijacked buildings. This uncertainty underscores the severity and complexity of the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee’s findings will inform strategies to be discussed at an investment summit planned for March, where the city hopes to attract interest in business settlements, student accommodation, and low-cost housing projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law enforcement operations have unveiled the stark realities within these compromised spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Drakensberg Flats on Nana Sita Street, people live in terrible conditions. Even though the building lacks water or electricity, residents survive by using water from fire hydrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is dangerous and unhealthy but shows how desperate people are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Sisulu Street, they found an abandoned car dealership with cars for sale, including an ambulance from the Eastern Cape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one was there to explain who owned it. In the same area, a building that didn\u2019t meet safety codes was used as a makeshift church and an unregistered daycare centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another building was also being turned into a daycare without the proper permits. These buildings will be shut down because they\u2019re unsafe.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Authorities raided an illegal chop shop in a hijacked building within Tshwane CBD.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The problem is not confined to commercial areas. According to Grandi Theunissen, Tshwane’s MMC for Community Safety, residential property hijackings are increasingly common<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal syndicates exploit properties left vacant by absentee owners or tied up in deceased estates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These groups often forge ownership documents, making it nearly impossible for legitimate owners to reclaim their properties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disturbingly, Theunissen revealed that some syndicates operate with the assistance of individuals within the deeds office, facilitating fraudulent property transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example that underscores the severity of crimes stemming from hijacked buildings occurred in a property on Lillian Ngoyi Street. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building, initially an abandoned office block, was taken over by criminal syndicates and transformed into a hub for illicit activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, police uncovered a human trafficking operation within its walls, rescuing 15 young women who had been lured from rural areas with false promises of employment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The victims were held captive, exploited, and subjected to unimaginable abuse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tragic discovery highlighted the criminal underbelly thriving in hijacked spaces and the profound human cost associated with the city’s urban decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister of Public Works Dean Macpherson has acknowledged the national scope of the issue, with 272 hijacked buildings identified across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His inspections of Public Works properties have revealed widespread neglect and exploitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macpherson expressed deep concern for individuals living in these buildings, many of whom are victims of exploitation, subjected to crime, drugs, and even human trafficking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he emphasised that the government cannot negotiate with the ringleaders who perpetuate these illegal occupations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising crime <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The rise in hijacked buildings has paralleled an increase in crime within Pretoria’s CBD. Since 2019, crime rates have surged by 30%, a trend linked to non-functional CCTV cameras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MMC for Community Safety Hannes Coetzee pointed<\/a> to a controversial 2014 CCTV tender under the ANC administration, which resulted in over 319 cameras being inoperative despite a R400 million investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lack of surveillance has emboldened criminal activities, further complicating efforts to restore order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theunissen also pointed out that illegal land occupation, cable theft, extortion, and the sale of counterfeit goods are significant issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign nationals often illegally occupy abandoned buildings in the city centre, renting out rooms to other undocumented people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This creates serious health, fire, and safety risks. Criminal groups are suspected of working with city officials, law firms, and even the deeds office to transfer property ownership illegally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Pretoria West, large quantities of counterfeit goods are sold, while drug trafficking is a big problem in Sunnyside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Areas like Centurion and Pretoria East face problems with cable theft and infrastructure damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hijacked buildings have become breeding grounds for illegal activities, from drug trafficking to human exploitation. They undermine property values, deter investment, and strain municipal resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, amidst this bleak landscape, there are signs of resistance and hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The “Reclaim the City” program, bolstered by coordinated law enforcement efforts and public sector reforms, represents a concerted attempt to reclaim urban spaces from criminal elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The upcoming investment summit will be a critical juncture, showcasing not just the city’s challenges but also its potential for renewal and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the hijacking crisis in Tshwane requires more than just policy interventions; it demands a holistic approach that integrates law enforcement, community engagement, and sustainable urban planning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only through such comprehensive efforts can South Africa’s capital city hope to reclaim its streets, restore public confidence, and pave the way for a safer, more prosperous future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hijacked buildings in the Tshwane CBD<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Abandoned Schubart Park Complex handover to Tsoseletso Consortium, Tshwane. <\/h2>\n\n\n
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Hijacked Tshwane municipality property in Sunnyside<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The City of Tshwane is grappling with the proliferation of hijacked buildings, which has led to crumbling infrastructure and rampant crime. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":810106,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[6490,19085,21621,853],"class_list":["post-810015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","tag-city-of-tshwane","tag-department-of-public-works-and-infrastructure","tag-hijacked","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=810015"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":810129,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810015\/revisions\/810129"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/810106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=810015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=810015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=810015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}