A joint enforcement operation has been carried out in Ferndale.

It brought together officials from the City of Johannesburg’s Region B citizen relationships and urban management (CRUM) unit, alongside the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), social development, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, environmental health, emergency medical services, building control, and development planning.

Read more: JMPD targets rising by-law violations in Randburg central business district

The operation took aim at a range of persistent urban management concerns across the area, with teams attending to faulty streetlights, erecting new stop signs, and clearing sites where illegal dumping had taken place. JMPD officers also issued fines to motorists found flouting parking regulations.

Among the properties flagged during the blitz was one in Guillaume Avenue, Bordeaux North. Inspecting officials found no caretaker on the premises. The matter has since been referred to the Gauteng Formalisation and Investigation Services (GFIS) for further investigation into whether the property has been hijacked.

Also read: JMPD to assist in taking back the greenbelt on CR Swart Drive

Property hijacking has become a growing concern across Region B, with criminal syndicates known to illegally occupy vacant or neglected buildings, and in some cases sublet them to unsuspecting tenants. The referral to GFIS signals that authorities are treating the Guillaume Avenue property as a priority matter.

The operation forms part of a broader City of Johannesburg strategy to deploy integrated, multi-departmental responses to urban decay, rather than tackling individual problems in isolation. The approach combines enforcement, infrastructure repair, environmental health oversight, and investigative capability within a single deployment, aimed at achieving greater impact and more holistic problem-solving.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!