Regional director Makhafola Thaba says the city has to explore new measures to ensure that property owners who erect illegal structures bear the financial consequences of their actions.
This follows the recent demolition of a double–story building at the intersection of 12th Avenue and Alfred Nzo Street, which had been unlawfully constructed on the pavement. Thaba, who oversaw the operation with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), said the city had exhausted all legal processes before moving in to demolish.

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He added that a notice had been served months earlier, but the owner failed to comply. “We did all that is supposed to be done in terms of serving notices, and we are now undertaking the necessary exercise of demolition.” Demolitions, however, do not come cheap. Thaba said the resources used to demolish the structure could have been used elsewhere for other purposes.

He explained that they will have to consider legal mechanisms that would allow them to bill property owners directly for demolition expenses. This would ensure that the city does not absorb the financial burden of unlawful construction, and discourage further encroachments in the region.

In Alexandra, encroachment crisis is widespread. The recently demolished structure, which encroached on public space and also obstructed a bus stop and City Power infrastructure, was just one among hundreds of structures. Thaba emphasised that such buildings are unsafe and will be targeted. “What they have done is that they have built a double story with poles, which makes no sense.

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“Unfortunately, this issue of people doing the double-stories that are not approved, they end up falling on our children. There was case in Region C where an elderly woman died. So, we are not going to entertain this kind of business anymore.”

He said, going forward, when a person constructs an illegal structure, they will be served with a notice. If they fail to comply, the city will move in to demolish the structure. Although the demolition on 12 Avenue targeted a single site, Thaba shared that Alexandra remains a priority area. “I have instructed the team to facilitate the legal process for a full demolition of this space.”

Thaba emphasised that compliance in the city is no longer optional, and as the city intensifies its enforcement operations, those who defy by–laws may soon face, not only the loss of their structures, but also the bill for their removal.

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