Tshwane Municipality says those living in bad and hijacked buildings have to relocate

JOHANNESBURG - The Tshwane Municipality said that people living in bad and hijacked buildings had to relocate as it would not relent on its by-law enforcement.

The municipality recently received a court order to demolish two illegally built residential complexes located near the city centre.

However, some residents of the soon-to-be-demolished buildings said they had nowhere else to go.

In a recent visit to a number of bad and hijacked buildings located in the Pretoria city centre, some residents told Eyewitness News this was the only affordable accommodation they could find that was close to their jobs.

The Tshwane Municipality has a housing crisis, with the latest census data showing the capital has the highest number of homeless people.

At an event on Wednesday, MMC for Housing Aaron Maluleka said the municipality had no choice but to enforce its by-laws.

"We will talk to residents, if there are alternatives and they are willing to pay for any available rentals, we will redirect them to some of our social housing projects, they can be housed there. We are not in any way willing to allow lawlessness."

Maluleka has acknowledged the city’s housing infrastructure was struggling to keep up with Tshwane’s expanding population size.