A video of what appears to be a group of illegal foreigners demolishing the door of a hijacked government-owned building located at the corner of De Villiers and Noord Street in Johannesburg has been making the rounds on social media.

In the video, the suspected undocumented foreigners are seen forcibly reopening the building after it was sealed by the Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD) on Sunday.

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The JMPD took decisive steps in eradicating lawlessness in the inner city by removing illegal occupants and informal traders in the building owned by the Department of Public Works.

Law enforcement also confiscated illicit alcohol and drugs, among other goods.

The JMPD said the City of Johannesburg’s Facility Management Unit welded the doors of the building in order to shut down unauthorised occupation and trading.

“Hijacking buildings undermines the rule of law and rights of owners. This unauthorised occupation of property is illegal and harmful,” said the JMPD.

During an oversight inspection shortly after the footage went viral, the Joburg MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku assured the public that the building remained sealed, despite violent attempts to reopen it.

He said the building will remain closed by the order of the Emergency Management Services (EMS), as it is non-compliant with the city’s safety standards.

“I can assure you that the building is still sealed and no one is going to operate here up until the building is compliant. Any judge that has been given the order to operate this building is not going to happen, instead the judge will be called to come and do inspection in loco,” he said.

As the deadline for spaza shop owners to register their establishments nears on Friday, Tshwaku sternly warned traders to refrain from selling goods without proper documentation.

He said undocumented traders will face the wrath of the law should they be found trading without a permit.

“We are also cleaning the city, as no one is going to be allowed to sell without a permit - you must be documented. Undocumented individuals will be taken to home affairs to be processed, we are not going to allow any anarchy in this country. No one must undermine the authority of the city and law enforcement” said Tshwaku.

The Star

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