Group invades Orange Grove targeting JPC properties
ORANGE GROVE – Residents need police to protect them from people who are allegedly evicting dwellers who they believe illegally occupy houses in the suburb.
While the story of 24 discovered coffins may have shocked the Orange Grove suburbs and the entire nation on Sunday 18 July, it turns out to be an element of a problem that has been going on for a while.
Although the coffins were discovered by a group allegedly from Alexandra township, the community of Orange Grove is living in fear.
Residents fear the lawlessness group will evict them from their homes and partly blame the police for failing to enforce the law and protect them from this group.
On Wednesday evening 21 August, residents held a meeting at the Norwood Police Station with the police and other stakeholders to seek an amicable solution. For three consecutive weekends, the group had allegedly evicted people from their homes and accused them of illegally occupying houses, specifically City of Johannesburg properties.
It emerged in the meeting that the group allegedly invaded residents’ properties and claimed they were cleaning the suburbs infested by drugs and prostitution ‘since the police were not doing their job’.
However, the coffins which caused a wave of shock were discovered on a private property that doesn’t belong to Johannesburg Property Company (JPC).
Provincial police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele told North Eastern Tribune that enquiries were opened to determine the owner of the house.
“We don’t know the owner and no one has been arrested. Only enquiries were opened to determine who owns the house and how the coffins were brought to the house,” said Makhubele.
One resident said at the meeting that the group came to his home and allegedly accused him of running prostitution and drugs, however, he managed to calm them and they left. According to residents, the group trespass on their properties and steal their items – all in the name of evicting people who have illegally occupied the JPC houses.
Democratic Alliance (DA) PR councillor Strike Rambani told residents that people started occupying properties illegally in 2016. He said the problem started when some of the officials from the City, who have since been fired, were illegally leasing out those properties. “I reported the illegality that was happening in Orange Grove and also reported the officials until they were dismissed in 2017,” he said.
Rambani added that some of the residents from the suburb were also occupying those houses illegally out of frustration, complaining that those properties were illegally occupied by foreign nationals. “Those individuals were claiming South Africans should occupy those properties because we voted for this government. I warned them that it is illegal,” he said.
He said letters were sent to people who illegally occupy those properties and he blamed JPC for failing to manage those properties back then. “For the past three weeks, people who are claiming are from Region A and are conducting operation Siyadudula and are intimidating residents whereas police are supposed to do their work,” he said.
He warned that no one has the right to evict dwellers from the property unless the owner of the property gets a court order and provides them with alternative accommodation. “There is no court order and those people are not the owners of the property. Police know very well that when there is an eviction, there should be a court order.”
Rambani also called on the police to be more proactive and prevent the group from committing crime in the suburb. “We don’t need to wait for somebody to come and open the case, you need to prevent those things from happening.”
He also claimed that JPC couldn’t provide alternative accommodation for those people and that is why they were not removing them from the properties.
JPC confirmed the house in which coffins were found is privately owned and they wouldn’t know if it was hijacked. The entity’s executive manager: client business manager Fanis Sardianos said JPC has opened the case at Norwood Police Station for hijacking the houses and trespassing. “This investigation is still underway. The City’s group forensic and investigation services are also investigating the matter,” he said.
He said the properties have received the council’s approval to be placed out on tender for housing purposes. The tender was closed on 31 July and bids received are in the process of been evaluated and will be awarded to the successful bidder with the development to commence soon after.
He confirmed that some houses were illegally occupied by foreign nationals. “There are 54 houses owned by the City in Orange Grove. Properties that are leased by the tenants are maintained and secured by them,” said Sardianos.
According to the JPC, JMPD was patrolling the area to secure the council’s properties and to avoid further illegal occupation. Meanwhile, the Norwood Police Station commander Colonel Phetole Mahasha promised police would protect residents from the alleged group and ensure the law is enforced.
He said he reported the situation to his principals. “They are aware and they would help me whenever we need their assistance,” he said.
The police have also encouraged people to report incidents and write statements as this will allow police to build a strong case.
Details: Norwood Police Station 011 483 4600/13/14.
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