A joint municipal and law enforcement operation in Ward 102, Randburg, on September 17 targeted widespread service delivery, environmental, property and compliance concerns.

The operation drew on the combined resources of Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (Crum), Pikitup, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, the Johannesburg Roads Agency, City Power, the Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS), Building Control, the Planning Control law enforcement unit, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and the Randburg SAPS.

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During an inspection at a property in Ferndale, the Randburg SAPS arrested one person for alleged drug dealing and possession. The police had not confirmed by publication time whether the suspect had been formally charged or given a court date; the Randburg Sun has requested comment from the SAPS communications office and will update this story once details are confirmed.

Municipal officials raised concerns over overcrowding and unauthorised residential use on the property, with tenants reportedly paying rent to a rental agent who could not be reached during the operation.

The Randburg Sun has sent a formal request for comment to the rental agency and will update this story with any response received.

The matter has been referred to GFIS for further action. Inspectors also found vehicle repairs being carried out on the property, along with an alleged illegal crèche operating out of a single room; the Randburg Sun has been unable to reach the crèche operator for comment and will update this story if a response is received.

Also read: City Power cuts illegal connection during Ferndale audit

A short distance away, officials found an upholstery business operating alongside vehicle spray painting and refurbishment. Building Control will now check whether these operations match the property’s approved building plans, while Planning Control will assess the amendment scheme to determine what land uses are permitted under the property’s special zoning.

Subsequent inspections targeted illegal dumping at the corner of Bram Fischer Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue, where teams cleared accumulated waste as part of ongoing efforts to clean public spaces across the ward.

Liziwe Ntshinga-Makoro, the group head of Crum, said greater transparency and improved access to information fostered stronger trust and collaboration between the city and communities.

Officials said the Ward 102 operation shows the value of joint interventions that bring together service delivery, law enforcement, compliance checks and environmental clean-up under one coordinated effort. The departments involved will now carry out their own follow-up processes on the matters identified during the operation.

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