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Tshwane Authorities Bust Over 20 Illegal Immigrants Occupying Hijacked House
South Africa

Tshwane Authorities Bust Over 20 Illegal Immigrants Occupying Hijacked House

by  Tshepiso Mametela 2 min read
  • City of Tshwane officials raided a hijacked property in Waterkloof Ridge and discovered over 20 illegal immigrants
  • Complaints about the stench and infestation at the premises spurred officials and law enforcement to undertake the visit
  • Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen confirmed that the hijacked building owed over R1 million in municipal debt

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Law enforcement in Tshwane find over 20 undocumented nationals in Waterkloof House in Tshwane
Officials in Tshwane found over 20 illegal immigrants occupying a dilapidated ramshackle in Waterkloof Ridge. Images: Gianluigi Guercia and Michele Spatari
Source: Getty Images

TSHWANE — Officials in the City of Tshwane discovered over 20 illegal immigrants shacked up in a hijacked house in Waterkloof Ridge outside Tshwane Central.

The bust this week comes after municipal officials raided the property, bent on recovering over R1 million in outstanding municipal debt.

Illegal occupants busted in Tshwane

According to TimesLIVE, the inhabitants of the dilapidated ramshackle paid R1,000 monthly to occupy erected shack structures and rooms inside.

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Community Safety Member of the Mayoral Council (MMC) Grandi Theunissen, the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), and community safety cluster leaders undertook to investigate the property on Thursday, 11 July.

Theunissen said numerous complaints from the community had necessitated the soft raid.

"[The] complaints ranged from illegal activities [taking place] and the stench emanating from within to a rat infestation," said Theunissen.
"The City is committed to upholding bylaws, safeguarding public health, and enhancing residents' quality of life.
"Illegally inhabiting buildings poses considerable risks such as fire hazards and [other] concerns to the occupants and the surrounding community.

Theunissen declared that the property was uninhabitable for humans due to squalor, adding that the extensive clutter exacerbated the crisis.

"The City will not tolerate the lawlessness perpetuated by [existing] and potential illegal occupants."

Police nab suspected syndicate members in raid

In other news, Briefly News reported that Gauteng police pounced on a group suspected of operating a fake sim card manufacturing ring, duping unsuspecting victims out of their money.

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2 Alleged foreign nationals caught in Johannesburg CBD stealing cables underground, SA takes digs

Gauteng Organised Crime Investigation Unit raided a house in the affluent suburb of Sandton, north of Johannesburg, and nabbed 43 suspects.

Law enforcement uncovered thousands of counterfeit cellphone sim cards during the operation.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is an evening/weekend editor at Briefly News. He was a general news reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops, including the crime and court reporting one by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism in 2024. He was a member of the Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ) from 2018 to 2020.

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