Challenges of Johannesburg's Hijacked Buildings: Mayor Morero Faces Social Backlash
- The City of Johannesburg Mayor, Dada Morero, stirred the public when he made an observation about hijacked buildings in the CBD
- Johannesburg's CBD has been battling hijacked buildings and the socioeconomic challenges they present, and he opined that criminal forces may contribute to the issue
- South Africans blasted him and accused him of making an obvious observation, questioning when the local government would act to remedy the scourge of hijacked buildings
With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero's statements on hijacked buildings in the CBD ruffled netizens' feathers. He spoke about the criminal elements that are behind the scourge of hijacked buildings.
According to SABC News, Morero said criminal syndicates are behind the City's 200 hijacked buildings. He said that the City is working with law enforcement and stakeholders to dismantle the criminal syndicates.
Syndicates ruling hijacked buildings: Morero
Morero said that the South African Police Service and the City must find ways to crackdown on the syndicates. He added that Johannesburg's Inner City projects need acceleration, but did not mention what these projects were. He said the City is focusing on bad buildings. Morero also pointed out that one of the challenges is placing evicted tenants in an alternative accommodation. A constitutional court judgement, he said, ruled that the City must provide alternative accommodation for evicted tenants.
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The plight of hijacked buildings
The battle with hijacked buildings came into the spotlight following the death of popular DJ and media personality, Warrick "Warras" Stock. Stock was gunned down on 16 December 2025 in the CBD outside of a hijacked building where his security company was installing security cameras.
Following his death, the City embarked on an operation in which hijacked buildings were raided without notice. During one of these raids on 23 December 2025, the City's MMC for Public Safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, and law enforcement found a chicken farm operating in a hijacked building that they shut down. The chickens were kept in unhygienic and unsanitary conditions and Tshwaku berated the owner, who was an undocumented foreigner.
Source: Getty Images
What did South Africans say?
Social media users on Facebook asked questions about the identity of the syndicates.
Eddie Mtetwa asked:
"The question is: who are those powerful syndicates which you are afraid of naming?"
Given Mabuza asked:
"Political syndicates, right?"
Phila Ndlovu said:
"Why was he so quiet? I think he must be investigated too."
Themba Eugene said:
"They are ANC members in good standing."
Sibo McMillan asked:
"So are the syndicates more powerful than the State? Or perhaps they are part of the State?"
Kenny Kunene warns of hijacked building syndicates
In a similar article, Briefly News reported that Transport MMC and deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance, Kenny Kunene, warned that cartels are operating hijacked building syndicates in Johannesburg. He spoke after the death of Warras.
Kunene said that illegal foreigners are not the only occupants of hijacked buildings, but South Africans also occupied the hijacked buildings. He also believed that Warras was assassinated for his efforts in cleaning up the Johannesburg CBD.
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Source: Briefly News
