"They Hide": Mayor Morero Returns to Marble Towers, Finds Illegal Trading Despite Court Order

• Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero led a by-law enforcement blitz at Marble Towers and found illegal structures still operating
• This was in defiance of a High Court ruling, after the order directed that unlawful commercial structures inside the building be shut down, vacated and removed
• City officials warned that continued non-compliance could result in the complete shutdown of Marble Towers, with a permanent JMPD presence under consideration

JOHANNESBURG - Illegal traders were back in operation at Marble Towers in the Johannesburg CBD on 10 July 2026, just days after a High Court ruling ordered all unlawful structures inside the building to be shut down and removed.

Executive Mayor Dada Morero visited the site personally, accompanied by Members of the Mayoral Committee and senior city officials, as part of a broader inner-city by-law enforcement campaign.

What they found contradicted the court's directive, and commercial structures that had been declared unlawful were still in use and accessible to traders and the public.

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Defiance of the court order

The Johannesburg High Court had ruled that commercial structures within Marble Towers were erected without approved building plans, ordering that they be vacated, removed, and that the building be brought into full compliance with safety regulations.

Despite this, the City's inspection revealed that some operators had simply resumed business as though the ruling did not apply to them.

Mayor Morero characterised the ongoing activity as a serious breach of the court's judgment, warning that building owners and tenants could not continue to flout the law while exposing residents, workers, and the general public to safety risks.

He stated that the City would pursue enforcement of the judgment and indicated that a permanent Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) presence may be necessary to maintain compliance at the site.

A video shared on X showed traders with goods spread across walkways inside the building, with stacks of clothing and merchandise laid out as though business was proceeding as usual.

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See the X clip below:

SA debates the unlawful actions in Joburg

Social media users had strong reactions to the footage on the X page.

@JabulaniShanga2 wrote:

"Door to door now in every building in Hillbrow, CBD, Yeoville, Rosettenville, etc. They hide in the hijacked buildings."

@siya_sifuba commented:

"Our fellow South Africans continue buying from them although they know our current struggle.. We are our own problem."

@wandy_motlhamme quipped:

"If I take those clothes, who's going to report me 😌 I can't teach guys everything 😉"

City officials have warned that continued non-compliance could ultimately result in the complete shutdown of Marble Towers.

More on SA by-law crackdowns and tensions

• Briefly News recently reported on suspects arrested after spaza shops were looted, with one person shot dead during the chaos.
• A viral clip showed foreign shop owners being forced to close their businesses amid growing national protests.
• An alleged tribal confrontation on a Limpopo work site left South Africans divided after workers were told to leave the province.

Source: Briefly News