PROJECT: WHO REALLY HIJACKS BUILDINGS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND HOW THEY DO IT (PART 1)
- Isabel Spies
- 24 hours ago
- 5 min read
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The Criminal Gangs Behind Inner-City Takeovers and the Human Cost of Speaking Out
South Africa’s inner cities are facing a systemic crisis of organised building hijackings that goes far beyond informal occupation. This is not the spontaneous work of homeless people or disenfranchised migrants acting independently.
Rather, it is a criminal economy driven by organised syndicates that identify vulnerable properties, seize control, and operate them as illegal revenue machines while imposing severe social harms on occupants, neighbourhoods, and property owners.
THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM - BUILDINGS, LOCATIONS AND VALUE:
Property owners, urban researchers, and government sources estimate that:
About 5,000 government and privately owned buildings across South Africa have been hijacked by criminal syndicates.
In Johannesburg’s central business district alone, roughly 1,100 buildings are controlled by illegal operators.
Other affected metros include Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, East London, and parts of Cape Town.
Government data indicates more than 300 state-owned buildings have also been illegally occupied.
Some municipalities report hundreds more inner-city properties identified as hijacked or dangerous.
These figures include both residential and commercial buildings, though residential blocks in inner-city and transitional zones are the most vulnerable due to poor management, neglected maintenance, and high housing demand.
The estimated economic loss from this illicit economy is substantial:
Syndicates reportedly extract billions of rand monthly in untaxed rental income.
Inner-city municipalities lose revenue through unpaid rates, electricity, and services, in some cases running into tens of millions of rand per building.
Dereliction and crime associated with hijacked buildings depress property values and deter investment in entire precincts.
CRIMINAL SYNDICATES - NOT DESPERATE SQUATTERS:
The people who control these buildings are often organised groups — not spontaneous settlers:
CRIMINAL SYNDICATE MODUS OPERANDI:
TARGETING VULNERABLE PROPERTIES:
Syndicates identify abandoned, poorly managed, or legally entangled buildings (e.g., litigation, estate issues).
FORCIBLE TAKEOVER:
They remove formal caretakers or tenants through intimidation, fraud, or force.
Entrances are welded shut, keys and locks are changed, and armed guards are installed.
ILLEGAL OPERATION AND REVENUE EXTRACTION:
Once in control, buildings are subdivided informally, utility services are reconnected illegally, and residents are charged cash rents with no leases or legal protections.
COERCION AND CONTROL:
Renters — often low-income South Africans or foreign nationals without legal housing options — are effectively trapped.
Refusal to pay or complain can result in eviction, violence, or threats to safety.
PROFIT ABOVE ALL:
Syndicates do not maintain infrastructure or pay taxes and redirect rental income to private accounts, laundering money through informal channels.
HUMANITARIAN AND CRIME IMPACTS:
Hijacked buildings are more than an economic theft — they create unsafe, unhealthy, and crime-ridden environments:
Overcrowding and unregulated electrical hookups lead to frequent fires and structural collapse risks.
Lack of sanitation and running water increases risks of disease outbreaks.
Criminal activity — from drug dealing to theft and violent crime — tends to cluster around these properties, affecting entire neighbourhoods.
When tragedy strikes, tenants are often scapegoated, blamed for public safety hazards, and face arrest or deportation, while the real organisers remain at large.
THE BLAME GAME AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION:
One of the most insidious effects of this crime model is the misdirection of public anger:
Politicians, media, and communities frequently blame foreign nationals for crime and building decay.
This scapegoating diverts attention from organised syndicates and complicit local actors — including corrupt officials and intermediaries who benefit from the status quo.
Law enforcement efforts often focus on clearing residents rather than dismantling systemic criminal networks.
WHAT SERIOUS REFORM WOULD REQUIRE:
If South Africa is genuinely committed to fixing its cities and restoring urban safety and dignity, the focus must shift:
FOLLOW THE MONEY:
Investigate and disrupt financial flows feeding building hijacking syndicates.
TARGET ORGANISED ACTORS:
Arrest and prosecute the enforcers, facilitators, and kingpins — not the vulnerable occupants.
INVESTIGATE OFFICIAL CORRUPTION:
Uncover and act on any collusion within regulatory agencies, law enforcement, or municipal departments.
PROTECT WHISTLEBLOWERS:
Ensure safety and legal protection for those inside and outside the system who expose criminal networks.
PROVIDE SAFE ALTERNATIVES:
Emergency accommodation and housing pathways for displaced residents should be part of any intervention strategy.
Please refer to our upcoming project, which provides practical guidance
on safeguarding your property
against hijacking and unlawful occupation.
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