A high-impact service delivery operation was conducted at 36 John Mackenzie Drive in Emmarentia on November 27, following numerous by-law violations and complaints from residents.

The intervention formed part of what the City of Johannesburg described as a focused effort to address problem properties in Emmarentia and the surrounding Franklin Roosevelt Park area.

Citizen Relations and Urban Management (Crum) acting director Auriel Kobola said the operation was necessary because the property had become non-compliant with multiple city by-laws. He noted violations of health regulations, planning and law enforcement by-laws, and EMS requirements, which created a nuisance and posed serious safety risks to neighbouring homes.

Read more: CRUM raid at Emmarentia property exposes overflowing waste crisis

Kobola stressed that the city could not allow the situation to continue unchecked. He warned that the property’s condition posed a fire hazard that could affect surrounding residences. He added that the city had a responsibility not only to enforce by-laws but also to educate residents about what is permitted in residential areas.

He further highlighted that the state of the property was already affecting property values and degrading the environment. As part of the intervention, City Parks, including its conservation unit, assisted with cleaning activities in the nearby park. Teams cleared waste, sprayed affected areas, and managed dead and overgrown vegetation.

During the inspection, officials confirmed that health regulations were not being followed. Kobola said that if a fire were to occur, neighbouring properties would likely be impacted. City officials explained that immediate intervention was required to introduce mitigating measures. “The city confirmed that people were living inside the property. As a result, the social development unit responsible for displaced people was brought to the site to assess the situation. The unit was tasked with interviewing, scanning and screening the occupants,” said Kobola.

Officials said alternative accommodation would be offered at a facility in Windsor East, although acceptance would be voluntary.

Kobola explained that the occupants had previously lived along a nearby spruit before exploiting what he described as a loophole that allowed them to settle inside the house. He said the owner had permitted them to stay, which he described as ‘wrong and illegal.’ He emphasised that residential properties were intended for families and that renting them out required compliance with town planning processes, which had not been followed.

He added that the property contained illegal structures, open fires, and hazardous conditions. Elements of drug activity were also reported, prompting police involvement to address criminal activity.

Also read: City finally hears residents outcry over by-law crisis at Emmarentia property

City officials confirmed that the municipal account linked to the property was in arrears, with substantial amounts owed due to illegal electricity and water connections. They said the property had been in this condition for the past 12 months, despite previous operations following complaints from residents and the Emmarentia Residents Association.

During earlier visits in 2024, officials found that the property’s owner was in poor mental health. Social development teams from the local and provincial government attempted to offer assistance, but access was reportedly denied.

“I believed I was helping them”
The owner is now in frail care, and her daughter, Nadia Milicevic, is responsible for the property. Milicevic said she believed she was helping displaced people by offering them shelter. She admitted to charging some residents about R350 per month and confirmed that 31 people had been living on the property together for about three years.

She added that many residents earned money by collecting and sorting recyclable waste. “They struggled with food and basic survival, and I wanted to give them a safe place they could call home and live like a family,” she said.

Milicevic acknowledged that the situation became difficult to manage. Recycling activities grew excessive, and attempts to control the accumulation of waste failed. “We did not have proper water and electricity, and that made it difficult to attract normal tenants who could pay higher rent. The situation gradually became overcrowded and difficult to control, eventually spiralling beyond what we had intended.”

Ellen Panbuka, a hairdresser living on the property, said not all residents were waste reclaimers. “Out of the group, 16 people were involved in recycling work, while others had different forms of employment. There is an engineer, a security guard who works night shift, and domestic workers who go out to work during the day.”

Panbuka said that if a solution could be found or if residents were given time, the situation could be resolved. She emphasised that most were trying to survive and work despite the conditions.

City officials said services would be disconnected due to illegal connections and arrears, and that the owner would be encouraged to make arrangements to settle outstanding bills.

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