Johannesburg - Police have
arrested 28 people linked to the illegal occupation and taking over of
buildings in southern Johannesburg, the mayor’s office said on Wednesday.
It said the owners of some of the buildings had unsuccessfully
tried to evict unlawful occupants and “hijackers” from their properties, who
will face charges of trespassing and contempt
of court on Thursday.
They were arrested after an operation led by the city’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service
department, the South African Police Service, the department of home affairs,
the social development department and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police
Department.
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The Johannesburg municipal council, led by mayor Herman Mashaba of
the main opposition Democratic Alliance, has identifield about 300 buildings as
having been forcibly wrested from their rightful owners.
“The city will not leave any stone unturned when dealing
with criminal activities within its area of jurisdiction and we will continue
to intensify the raids at these bad and hijacked properties with the assistance
of the police and other law enforcement agencies,” Mashaba said in a statement.