KZN Premier Thami Ntuli joined the raid and said it would not be the first and last operation. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
In specialised operation led by Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and the KwaZulu-Natal police, more than 123 undocumented foreign nationals were taken into custody, 117 rounds of ammunition and R4.1 million worth of counterfeit US dollars was recovered in Durban on Tuesday.
During the operation, six buildings were raided in efforts to tackle issues related to hijacked buildings, illegal firearms and the presence of undocumented foreigners.
The reclaiming of hijacked buildings is part of a larger effort to rejuvenate the city and make it more attractive to investors, according to eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba. He noted that 76 derelict buildings had been identified, some hijacked, abandoned, or used as hideouts for illegal activities.
“We plead with Public Works to fix these buildings, if they no longer want them they should either sell them or return them to the Municipality.
“We have such problems because there are issues with maintenance and security. If we deal with that, the problem would be resolved,” said Xaba.
On Monday, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson together with Xaba revealed that a task team had been set up to address the problem buildings issue. KZN Premier Thami Ntuli joined the raid and said it would not be the first and last operation.
“We want to (stop) the illegally occupied buildings, we want them rejuvenated to attract investors ... uplift our economy.
The undocumented foreign nationals will be deported, that is why we have Home Affairs here,” said Ntuli.
Eunice Dube, who is the supervisor of the St Moritz building in Point, Durban, said she had been working there since 1994. “This building was once one of the most beautiful and I was proud of working here, but with the condition it is in now, I am ashamed of telling people that I work here.
“Sometimes you find that someone arrived as a tenant and years later they are renting out their space or rent out flats that do not belong to them. Then you find that a flat has more occupants than it should have,” said Dube.
@themercurysa KwaZulu Natal police led by the provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi conducted a massive raid in Point, Durban. #raid #police #kwazulunatal #themercury #ethekwinimunicipality #southafrica ♬ original sound - TheMercurySA
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said one of the six raided buildings was owned by the municipality but an illegal occupant was allegedly collecting rent from illegal tenants.
“During the operation, a total of 117 rounds of ammunition for various calibres of firearms and large amounts of liquor were recovered and seized.
“Two of the hijacked buildings had their water and electricity disconnected as they were connected illegally.
“One suspect was also arrested after he was found in possession of cocaine and crystal meth as well as an undisclosed amount of money,” said Netshiunda. Mkhwanazi said that they cannot conduct such operations daily due to the limited availability of appropriate facilities to house those arrested.
“The biggest problem we face regarding undocumented persons is the lack of sufficient detention space. Detaining undocumented people without a proper place to keep them raises ethical and logistical concerns.
“We temporarily hold them at police stations, but the responsibility ultimately lies with Home Affairs to transfer them to suitable detention facilities before their deportation.”
He said they had recovered a large number of firearms in the province but were concerned about the storage of the firearms.
“We had an engagement with the NPA and judiciary to prevent these firearms from being kept mostly at police stations, for the purpose of them being evidence in courts and to centralise them to a more secure place,” said Mkhwanazi.
The Mercury