On Thursday, 9 January 2025, the Mayoral Executive joined a multi-departmental crime operation with a targeted focus on the Tshwane CBD. Over the past several years, the level of crime has risen and adherence to by-laws has deteriorated across the city, but especially in the city centre.
The joint operation conducted on Thursday revealed how dire the situation has become.
The operation, which focused on the streets surrounding Tshwane House, involved the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Home Affairs, the Tshwane Metro Police Department, and the City’s Health Department and
Environment and Agriculture Management Department.
The operation began with by-law enforcement operations at spaza shops, where we uncovered several businesses that were operating without licences.
In addition, adherence to health and environmental regulations was non-existent. Expired food products and alcohol were confiscated, and businesses that were operating without licences were closed.
A car dealership operating in Sisulu Street was found by law enforcement to be abandoned, with no owners present to account for its operation.
We found several cars on sale, including an ambulance from the Eastern Cape, as well as a fridge.
The operation to Reclaim Our City included the inspection of several unsafe buildings in the CBD.
“We found a building in Sisulu Street that was in violation of safety codes being used to operate as a makeshift church and creche, and we also found yet another building renovated as a creche with no registration, so the two buildings will therefore be condemned for violating the building codes,” said Mayoral Spokesperson Zintle Mahlati in a media statement submitted to Tshwane Talks on Friday.
She revealed that the Drakensburg Flats in Nana Street is yet another unsafe building which is privately-owned and although its water and electricity had been disconnected by City of Tshwane officials, hundreds of residents living there had illegally managed to use the City of Tshwane fire hydrant water for sustenance.
“It has become too common that City-owned buildings are hijacked by criminals to earn an income,” she said.
“We closed a night club/ restaurant that was found operating in a City-owned building, but its municipal buildings are paid to unknown entities and not to the municipality,” explained Mahlati.
She said the Reclaim Our City operation will gain increased momentum in the coming weeks as part of the Mayoral Executive Committee’s 100-Day Action Plan to entrench municipal by-laws.
“We will be conducting raids twice a week, day and night, with intention to deal with unsafe buildings and also to regulate business activities in the CBD,” enthused Mahlati.
“We are warning owners of privately-owned buildings to ensure that their properties comply with the law, abd we will not hesitate to expropriate privately-owned buildings that violate the law,” said Mahlati.
Another unsafe privately owned building is Drakensberg Flats in Nana Sita Street. Its electricity and water were disconnected, but the hundreds of residents who reside in the building have managed to use the fire hydrant water for sustenance.
It has become too common that City-owned buildings are hijacked and used by criminals to earn an income. We closed a night club/restaurant that was operating in a City-owned building, but its municipal bills were being paid to unknown entities and not to the municipality.
The Reclaim Our City operation will gain increased momentum in the coming weeks as part of the Mayoral Executive’s 100-Day Action Plan to entrench by-law adherence.
We will be conducting raids twice a week, day and night, with the intention to deal with unsafe buildings and regulate business activities in the CBD.
We are warning owners of privately owned buildings and unregulated businesses to ensure that their properties comply with the law. We will not hesitate to expropriate privately owned buildings that violate the law.