Ginger Park Resident Demands R50,000 to Relocate Amid City Crackdown on Hijacked Properties
- A Ginger Park resident demands R50,000 compensation for himself and his family for relocation
- This comes after the City of Johannesburg plans to open criminal cases against those renting out hijacked shacks
- MMC Mlungisi Mabaso confirmed the relocation efforts following a court order for residents at the 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.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG - A resident at the Ginger Park informal settlement in Paulshof, Johannesburg, has demanded compensation before agreeing to be relocated. He told officials that he and his family should each be paid R50,000.
Man demands compensation
The demand was made during an oversight visit led by Johannesburg Human Settlements MMC Mlungisi Mabaso on Sunday, 28 December 2025. The settlement, located between Witkoppen and Main roads, is illegally occupied on land owned by both the province and a private owner.
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Mabaso said the visit followed a court order obtained by the private landowner, authorising the relocation of residents. Initial assessments suggest that more than 400 people are living in informal structures in the area, which has no basic services such as water, sanitation or electricity and has become a dumping site.
Rejected the relocation plan
According to EWN, one of the residents, 60-year-old Thapelo Mogoboya, told officials he had lived at the site for decades after his former employer allegedly left the property to him. He said other residents later built shacks in the area, but claimed they did not pay him rent.
When informed about the court order, Mogoboya rejected the relocation plan and insisted he would only leave if the City provided housing for his family and paid them compensation. He denied claims that he had hijacked the property.
Plans to open criminal cases
In a previous article, Briefly News stated that 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.
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.
Source: Getty Images
Other stories about hijacked buildings
The City of Johannesburg is intensifying its crackdown on hijacked and dilapidated buildings, with plans to carry out raids as part of the ongoing operation. MMC for Community Safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, took part in one such raid on 23 December 2025. In footage shared by SABC News on social media, Tshwaku was seen inside a building where a pile of cattle heads was found. The heads were reportedly being used to prepare cow head meat, commonly known as inyama yenhloko.
The government’s crackdown on hijacked buildings and the syndicates believed to control them came into sharp focus following the killing of popular media personality DJ Warras. Warras was shot dead outside the Zambezi Building on 16 December 2025 while his security company was installing CCTV cameras and a biometric access system. Investigators have linked his murder to hijacked-building syndicates operating in the Johannesburg CBD.
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Source: Briefly News
