SCORES of people in the inner city of Joburg find themselves homeless after they were allegedly evicted from a two-storey dilapidated building in Marshalltown.
This comes as the city's Public Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene embarked on an ongoing operation to inspect and shut down dilapidated buildings.
The operation happened on Saturday, 2 September, next to the Usindiso Shelter that burnt down on Thursday, 31 August.
"We were evicted unlawfully. One minute we were inside and the next thing we were given 15 minutes to pack our bags and leave.
"When they first came in we thought they were checking the area and asking us to leave so that alternative homes will be given to us, only to find that they were kicking us out," said Nomthandazo Masoka (34), who is now homeless.
A 50-year-old woman who has lived in the building for more than 10 years challenged the city's decision to act now when the fire happened.
She said it was better living in the hijacked building than living on the streets and not being chased away every morning by shop owners.
When asked why they did not move to the shelter, the two women said they were still waiting to be allocated an alternative shelter.
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However, a shop owner whose entrance has been occupied by the homeless people said this was not good for business.
He said the people sleeping in front of their shops was killing business.
The City of Joburg is under pressure over hijacked buildings dominating the CBD.
During the inspection at the time, Tshwaku and Kunene were adamant in closing and sealing the hijacked buildings in the inner city.
The two MMCs, alongside police on Tuesday, 5 September, also went to inspect Vannin Court in Hillbrow.
Vannin Court is a hijacked eight-storey building on Pietersen Street, which they described as a "crime hot spot, harbouring criminals who use it as a hideout".
??Must Watch ??Vannin Court has always been a crime hot spot, harbouring criminals who use it as a hideout. Enough is enough! We will not be held hostage by illegal landlords who take advantage of the poor with their lawlessness. Order will be restored! #ManjeNamhlanje pic.twitter.com/mWx5iZUovj
— COJ People’s MMC Public Safety (@PublicSafetyMMC) September 5, 2023
On 31 August, a hijacked building called Usindiso Shelter burnt down claiming the lives of 77 people and leaving 52 injured.
Several people were moved to homeless shelters in and around Joburg, but a few remained on the streets and refused to be relocated.
David Molopyane (36) claimed that some of his belongings were in the burnt building and he couldn't leave them behind, and that's why he wasn't willing to move to a shelter.
On Tuesday, 5 September MMC Tshwaku told a TV news channel during the inspection of flats that they will be on the toes on those living in hijacked buildings in the city, even if it means shutting them down and allocating people to shelters.
He said this decision will not be determined by what the court has to say as the buildings do not adhere to safe living conditions and the structural integrity is at stake and could fall at any time.
