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(FILE IMAGE]: Hijacked buildings.
Johannesburg Public Safety MMC, Mgcini Tshwaku, has discovered an unauthorised abattoir at one of the hijacked buildings in the Johannesburg City Center operating in unhygienic conditions that pose a health hazard. Tshwaku conducted a raid of the hijacked building on Tuesday.
A stench, puddles of water and exposed electric wires welcome you as you enter the building. Constructed shacks within rooms are being used to trade illegal activities. Tshwaku says hijacked buildings have become serious crime hotspots.
WATCH | Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku says they are failing to locate some of the owners of hijacked buildings in the CBD. He’s currently leading a large operation with the Red Ants and JMPD on Troye Street. SABC News’ Lerato Makola has more. pic.twitter.com/P9G09Ydplj
— SABC News (@SABCNews) December 23, 2025
“There are two rooms of interest where we’ve heard that drugs are actually cooked and distributed here and one important things is we have to reclaim this building because workers that are coming from the Gautrain station and those working around this area are being mugged. so this makes it a building that we really have to reclaim,” says Tshwaku.
WATCH | Johannesburg MMC for Safety and Security, Mgcini Tshwaku, is currently leading a raid at one of the hijacked buildings in the Johannesburg CBD. pic.twitter.com/kWeH0v7PEH
— SABC News (@SABCNews) December 23, 2025
Tenants say they are tired of being tormented by ruthless syndicates at hijacked buildings.
RELATED VIDEO | Joburg Hijacked Buildings – Efforts to reclaim city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MNNE0wcuOU
“We don’t pay rent anymore because syndicates come up with an exorbitant amount of money,” says a tenant.
“So you cannot just remove us out like that but you must also listen to our problems. We did not hijack this building. We were paying w and they disappeared so who must we pay?” says another tenant.
Tshwaku says the growing territorial disputes linked to hijacked building in the inner city has led to multiple deaths as rival criminal syndicates threaten each other.
“We want to call the tenants which are staying here and ask them what is the problem and we need check them as to how many of them are able to pay because we’ve only been listening to the side of the owners and we have not engaged with tenants to find out what is their issues if they can afford a certain amount of rent so we can put contracts in place. that engagement will probably happened next week or January when everyone is back,” says Tshwaku.
Tshwaku has promised that these operations will continue in the coming weeks, targeting buildings where crime and safety concerns are most prevalent.
VIDEO | Hijacked Buildings | Officials concerned about shacks built inside buildings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNEC4Eqs_fc
