City of Tshwane vows to crackdown on syndicates hijacking buildings in metro
The metro has been plagued by organised property hijacking syndicates who force their way into occupied or vacant properties.
The City of Tshwane.
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Tshwane says it aims to dismantle syndicates responsible for hijacking residential properties in the CBD in a bid to prevent tragedies similar to those witnessed in Johannesburg.
The metro has been plagued by organised property hijacking syndicates who force their way into occupied or vacant properties, turning the hijacked buildings into drug dens and havens for criminals.
With concerns about this practice surging across the Gauteng province, MMC Kingsley Wakelin has approved the Tshwane Sustainable and Better Buildings Programme, which will allow the city to either force the sale of some properties through the courts or expropriation.
"This programme is based on lessons learned from other cities, like Johannesburg and the likes. Anybody from a hijacking syndicate will be identified, removed and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Once we have taken control of these buildings, we will put them out to market on long-term leases to the private sector to develop formal accommodation."