The building law-enforcement blitz in Pretoria West sent a stern warning to property owners in the city that their disregard for municipal by-laws will result in legal action being taken.

This comes after a property owner was arrested after authorities uncovered an illegal connection made to a property that had been previously disconnected.

The Bad Buildings Mayoral Sub-Committee has carried out several operations in the Pretoria West area in recent weeks.
The area has been labelled by the metro as a hive of lawlessness, with non-compliant business and residential properties placing strain on the metro’s resources.

Committee Chairperson and MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, said the committee remained steadfast in their mandate of upholding the law, saying that ‘the era of impunity is over’.

Morodi said officials revisited several establishments this week, which were previously shut down for non-compliance.

“At the centre of the operation was Maqayada Restaurant, which had earlier been closed and disconnected from electricity. On a third inspection, the owner was found to have illegally tampered with municipal infrastructure, unlawfully sourced electricity from neighbouring properties, and was in possession of stolen municipal cables.”

Morodi said a formal criminal case has been opened.

“The city will monitor proceedings closely. This brazen disregard for the rule of law will not go unchallenged,” she said.

In a separate case, officials returned to a property with unlawfully constructed buildings and R42 000 in outstanding debt.

Despite previous disconnections of water and electricity, the owners had illegally reconnected services.

The operation resulted in 11 formal notices issued, three health and safety violations, two building regulation contraventions and three fire safety violations.

Immediate water and electricity disconnections took place, as well as the confiscation of illegal cables and meter boxes.

“We are confronting a culture of lawlessness head-on. The message is clear: defiance will be met with decisive action. The Bad Buildings Committee remains committed to restoring law, order, and economic integrity in our city.”

Morodi assured residents that they have the political will and promised to continue these operations weekly to ensure compliance and protect residents.

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