Residents losing their homes to criminal syndicates

Most of these properties are being used as drug dens, the mayor of Joburg says.

Mayor, Herman Mashaba

According to City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba, residents of Windsor and some southern suburbs in Johannesburg are being illegally evicted from their homes by alleged criminal syndicates claiming to be in possession of valid eviction orders, Northcliff Melville Times reports.

Mashaba said residents (those still living in the area and those that have been evicted) claimed that these syndicates illegally constructed rooms on the property they had illegally acquired and then rented them out, all while allegedly illegally connecting to the City’s services.

“Most of these properties are then used as drug dens and turn our young girls into sex slaves,” he said.

Since taking office, addressing the need for housing has been one of the mayor’s top priorities. However, the City has a backlog of 300 000 housing units and limited resources for addressing this shortage.

READ MORE: Gauteng makes housing promise

“I have therefore instructed the City’s legal team to investigate these allegations, provide a report on the matter and advise on how to proactively begin addressing this problem,” said Mashaba.

The City’s group forensic team is also going to intensify raids to profile the size of the problem, added Mashaba.

Ward 98 councillor Beverley Weweje previously pointed out that the area’s biggest problem was that flats in Windsor East were occupied by more people than there should be.

“I believe the biggest problems will be resolved once the property issues have been solved. We are currently in the process of identifying problem properties and to take the relevant [action],” Weweje said.

The City’s public safety MMC, Michael Sun, paid a visit to the area in February. At a heated meeting with residents, it became clear that drug abuse, overcrowding, constant noise pollution and illegal street vendors add to the many problems that residents of Windsor have to deal with.