Reclaiming Pretoria West: Tshwane's fight against lawlessness

In a bid to reclaim the city from lawlessness, Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya and the city's metro police led an anti-crime operation in Pretoria West, resulting in the closure of several foreign-owned businesses for non-compliance with by-laws. 

The operation, part of the Reclaim Our City campaign, was sparked by concerns raised by ward 3 councillor Malesela Rakabe about the prevalence of lawlessness in the area.

According to Moya, the team took action against City of Tshwane residential properties that had been hijacked, with all of them reportedly occupied by foreign nationals. 

“Every utility is illegally connected from water to electricity. The houses have been illegally extended to accommodate a tuck shop, laundry facility and an egg business,” she said.

The closure of an egg depot and laundry business for non-compliance sparked discontent among a group of immigrants, who gathered to express their grievances over the shutdown. 

Moya said the City issued bylaw contravention notices for the two properties, and a nearby scrap yard dealership had previously been fined for constructing a wall that exceeded height limits without municipal approval.

“The people we had seen building inside ran away, from a second exit, while we asked for the gates to be opened. The yard extends onto two properties,” she said.

The owners of a scrap yard for car parts in the area were found to be in violation of the law for constructing a structure without obtaining approval from the city. 

Moya condemned the properties in Pretoria West, saying that they exemplify the lawlessness prevalent in the city.

“The landlord of these buildings has been stealing our water and electricity for years. We have disconnected all the illegal connections. The tenants are billed monthly for water and electricity, but those funds are not paid to the city. The same landlord owns an unsafe apartment block that was built without City approval. We have received a court judgment to demolish that apartment block,” she said.

The operation also revealed a property containing over 20 shacks, where tenants were paying between R1,500 and R2,000 per room.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za