On Friday, 17 January 2025, the mayoral executive joined a successful by-law enforcement operation conducted in the Pretoria CBD, which led to the discovery of 27 illegal immigrants. The operation included representatives from the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), the Department of Home Affairs and the City’s Health Department and Environment and Agriculture Management Department.
Our mandate for this operation was to Reclaim Our City from lawlessness, a campaign which we are committed to enforce in the CBD.
We successfully inspected buildings in Madiba Street, Helen Joseph Street and Lilian Ngoyi Street, some of them metres away from Tshwane House. In addition, we accelerated efforts to enforce by-laws on vendors and informal traders who run businesses on the sidewalks of streets.
The following summary of the operation shows the extent of the City’s work to ensure that we have clean streets, lawful businesses practices and ease of congestion in our capital city:
- Eight businesses were inspected.
- Two Section 56 notices for contravention of the Business Act, 1991 (Act 71 of 1991) were issued.
- Contravention notices were issued for violation of the Solid Waste Management By-Law.
- Two contravention notices were issued by the City’s fire safety officers, in addition to five Section 56 notices for violation of fire safety regulations.
- One Section 56 notice was issued for food products, cosmetics and disinfectants.
- Two businesses were closed for non-compliance.
- 31 AARTO fines were issued by the region.
- 87 suspected illegal, undocumented immigrants were cornered and verified. After verification, 27 were found to be illegal immigrants.
- 13 illegal traders were inspected.
The following items were confiscated:
- 16 perishables (mixed fruits)
- 11 packs of various cold drinks
- 20 cases of various energy drinks
- Six crates
- 40 bags (lost and found)
- Five packs of plastic with wigs
- Ten mixed plastic chairs
- One fan
- 16 yellow plastics
- One black bag of shoes
- 20 travelling bags
- 51 normal bags
- Three travelling buckets
The operation also focused on dilapidated buildings. We discovered a building that has been abandoned by the national Department of Public Works for a long time. Buildings such as Navy House, Fatima’s Centre and Libri Building, which are all privately owned, should be declared as unfit for human habitation. Navy House, which is demarcated as a residential building, had more than a dozen salons operating inside the seven-story structure.
Meanwhile, close to the historic Church Square, some of our own buildings have been long abandoned and are vulnerable to hijacking. We are committed to reclaiming these buildings and condemning those that are deemed as unsafe.
The Reclaim Our City operation will continue every week in the CBD. The mayoral executive had committed in its 100-Day Action Plan to ensure adherence to by-laws.
The executive recently met with informal traders to engage with the sector on efforts to legalise their businesses in the streets of Tshwane. We support the efforts made by informal traders to earn a living and contribute to Tshwane’s economy.
However, it is important that law, order and ease of movement in Tshwane are maintained. We have demarcated areas for use by vendors, and we encourage residents to apply for permits to ensure compliance.
The Reclaim Our City operation also focuses on keeping our streets clean. City of Tshwane employees joined our campaign on Friday by helping to pick up garbage and sweep the streets. We thank our employees and the residents of Tshwane for their support.