Councillor welcomes city’s crackdown on hijacked properties in Marlboro
Councillor hails the recent by-law enforcement operation in Marlboro as a step towards addressing the long-standing issue of hijacked buildings in the area.
Ward 108 councillor Deborah Francisco is happy that after years of advocacy, the city is giving Marlboro the attention it needs.
This follows a recent by-law enforcement operation led by MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku in the area. The operation, prompted by a tip-off from some residents, targeted hijacked properties in Marlboro.
Francisco said this is an issue she has persistently complained about. “I am happy that the issue in Marlboro is being addressed, because I have been talking a lot about it, even in the councillors’ forum.”
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She said she is hopeful that these kinds of by-law enforcement operations will reduce the level of criminality and non-compliance among residents in the area.
During the operation, Tshwaku, who was working alongside JMPD and the owner of a hijacked building in the area, found that a warehouse had been unlawfully occupied by about six people.
The occupants admitted that they do not own the property, but insisted that they do not pay rent to anyone – something the MMC did not believe.
Furthermore, Tshwaku expressed concerns about a seized piece of land near the warehouse where people have built informal, unsafe structures. “The other piece of land, close to that warehouse, is fully occupied by shacks and houses that have not been built properly. The double stories that they did there can fall anytime.”
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They also found cars parked in the area, some without license discs. Tshwaku said when they return, they will bring scanners to ascertain if the vehicles are stolen or not.
Although they weren’t removed immediately, illegal occupants of the warehouse were told they had to vacate the area within seven days.
Francisco welcomed the operation as a good initiative with good intentions, but was concerned that she was not informed about it, and had to hear about it from residents. “I am concerned about that, but I’ll raise it with proper structures. I still remember somebody once lost their life doing an oversight visit in the area.” She said that was not the way to go about it, and if the inspection or oversight visit happens in her ward, she should have been made aware of it.
The Marlboro operation formed part of the city’s broader efforts to enforce by-laws, reclaim hijacked properties, and restore order in Johannesburg.
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