City of Johannesburg Launches Criminal Cases Against Illegal Shack Rentals

• Tensions arose when one individual admitted to being a landlord before later denying it
• MMC Mlungisi Mabaso said Johannesburg is clamping down on illegal occupations
• A Johannesburg High Court ruling has authorised the removal and relocation of people occupying the Ginger Park informal settlement

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

JOHANNESBURG - The City of Johannesburg has announced plans to open criminal cases against people who admitted to renting out shacks at the illegally occupied Ginger Park informal settlement in Paulshof.

Deal with unlawful land occupations

Human Settlements MMC Mlungisi Mabaso said the city is intensifying efforts to deal with unlawful land occupations by going after individuals who financially benefit from them. He made the remarks during an oversight visit to the settlement on Sunday, 28 December 2025, where residents were told they would be moved to alternative accommodation. Ginger Park is situated on land partly owned by the provincial government and partly by a private landowner. A Johannesburg High Court ruling has authorised the removal and relocation of people living there.

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Mabaso said the area is unsafe and unsuitable for human settlement, describing it as a dumping site plagued by rats. During the visit, tensions arose when one individual initially admitted to being a landlord before later denying it. Mabaso warned that illegally occupying or hijacking land is a criminal act. He said some individuals were charging rent while residents relied on government services, calling the practice exploitative and unlawful. Mabaso added that the intervention at Ginger Park forms part of the city’s wider drive to improve safety, cleanliness and order across Johannesburg.

Other stories about hijacked buildings

The City of Johannesburg is planning on raiding dilapidated buildings as it continues its drive to clamp down on hijacked buildings. The MMC for Community Safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, was part of a raid that took place on 23 December 2025. In one of the videos SABC News posted on social media, Tshwaku was in a building which had a pile of cattle heads, used to prepare the popular cow head meat, otherwise known as inyama yenhloko. Tshwaku berated the man, reportedly selling the heads, and said that he would cause people to fall ill.

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Tshwane Mayor weighs in as tensions rise over Ginger Park Settlement evictions

The government's war against hijacked buildings and the syndicates allegedly operating them was thrust into the spotlight after the murder of popular media personality DJ Warras. Warras was shot and killed outside the Zambezi Building on 16 December 2025, while his security company was installing CCTV equipment and a biometric system. His death was linked to hijacked building syndicates operating in the CBD.

The City's MMC for Transport, Kenny Kunene, warned of the war with hijacked building cartels following Warras' murder. He said that the city is at war with illegally-occupied building cartels. He said South Africans, and not only undocumented foreigners, but also occupied the hijacked buildings and said that he believed that Warras was assassinated.

Gauteng reclaims illegally-occupied buildings

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Gauteng provincial government reclaimed 15 illegally occupied buildings.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the buildings were located in the Johannesburg CBD. Lesufi stated that the buildings will be demolished and rebuilt. He also said that the current legislation prevents them from evicting the unlawful tenants.

Source: Briefly News