Law closing in on building hijackers
BEREA – The City wants to bring back the rule of law against landlords who take advantage of desperate people.
City of Johannesburg Group Forensic and Investigation Services have vowed to clamp down on crime, specifically, the hijacking of buildings in the inner city.
Lucky Sindane, director of strategic stakeholder management, said they will be intensifying their raids to ensure that law and order prevail in the City.
Speaking to the North Eastern Tribune on 20 February following their raid in Berea, where six people were arrested, Sindane said more arrests are imminent.
Read: Alleged building hijackers denied bail
The group is working with the police, the Johannesburg Metro police, Emergency Management Services (EMS) and the City’s Environmental Health, Citizen Relationship and Urban Management and Social Development departments in the raids.
Sindane said since they started with the raids, about 160 buildings have been confirmed as hijacked and they have also managed to arrest and imprison hijacking kingpins.
“In December, one of the building hijacking kingpins was sentenced to eight and 15 years, to run concurrently. Another kingpin was arrested in January and his case is still in court.
“We want to clean the City. We want to repossess these buildings and hand them back to the rightful owners as part of our efforts to fight this scourge of crime within the inner city.
Read: Two suspects arrested in Mayfair for illegal firearms and hijacked vehicle
“Those who continue hijacks in these building must know that we are coming for them.”
Sindani added that there is no hiding away in Johannesburg.
“They just need to give back the buildings to the rightful owners. In the next few days, we will be handing over some of the buildings that we repossessed to the rightful owners.”
The director said they will be conducting weekly raids and promised that they will leave no stone unturned.
Read: Building hijacking kingpin and accomplice sentenced
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said, “It is essential that we bring back the rule of law in our City and take it back from the criminal elements such as landlords who take advantage of desperate people and house them under deplorable conditions.”
Meanwhile, the six suspects who were arrested during the crime prevention operation in Berea at Blue Huisi, Harrison Reef Hotel and Kirrbil, have appeared in the Hillbrow Magistrates’ Court facing different charges, according to Sindani.
Details: Lucky Sindane LuckySi@joburg.org.za
