One of the residents at a hijacked building in Hillbrow‚ Johannesburg‚ has detailed the fear that all the tenants live in as the landlords threaten to kill anyone who talks about the rent being paid at the dilapidated property.
On Wednesday Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba visited Vanin Court in Hillbrow to show journalists the kind of environment people live in in hijacked buildings.
Nomusa Radebe* has been living in this notorious building since 2009. When she first arrived in Joburg she moved in with a relative in the building. When the relative later bought a property she had no other place to go‚ so Radebe stayed and was officially introduced to the alleged landlord.
“These people [landlords] have a plan of the whole building showing where the spaces are. When you meet them they take your name and number and allocate a space to you. Then they tell you that you should not say a word about paying rent here. In fact they threaten to kill you if you ever identify who they are.
“This is the kind of life that we live – always in fear. We are scared of what would happen if we name these people. The environment is also not safe. Anybody can just walk in because there are no security guards at the gate and nobody cares who is coming in and what they are here to do.
“In the past some of the tenants from rural areas would settle their battles inside the building. It is a very difficult place to live in. We just live by the grace of God‚” she said.
A number of times the city disconnected electricity and water but the services were restored illegally‚ Radebe recalls. She said there was one tenant who organised all of the residents so that they could go pay directly to the city as letters of demand continued to arrive.
“This tenant got into serious trouble and the landlords wanted to kill him. He left the building fearing for his life‚” she said.
Radebe lives with six other people in a unit‚ all paying rent of R700 to their alleged landlord. The unit at Vanin Court allows Radebe to have a bed‚ wardrobe and basic necessities‚ but no kitchen.
But she says there are people who pay up to R1 000 for this. “Each unit here has its own landlord. There is no one person who owns or runs the whole place. I pay to the one attached to my unit and have to keep quiet.”
Radebe said she is willing to pay rent in an affordable place which can be provided by the city.
The reporter visited some of the buildings which had been hijacked but were reclaimed by the Johannesburg Social Housing Company. The rent for a single room with a communal kitchen and bathroom is R700.
“I would definitely love to move into a decent place. Here its is a very difficult situation. If it is affordable‚ I will definitely not mind going there. I think a lot of other tenants share the same view‚” Radebe said.
The city has already identified 85 hijacked buildings which will be renovated and turned into low-cost housing.
Mashaba promised to provide alternative accommodation during reconstruction.
*not her real name
Resident of hijacked building tells about her terror
One of the residents at a hijacked building in Hillbrow‚ Johannesburg‚ has detailed the fear that all the tenants live in as the landlords threaten to kill anyone who talks about the rent being paid at the dilapidated property.
On Wednesday Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba visited Vanin Court in Hillbrow to show journalists the kind of environment people live in in hijacked buildings.
Nomusa Radebe* has been living in this notorious building since 2009. When she first arrived in Joburg she moved in with a relative in the building. When the relative later bought a property she had no other place to go‚ so Radebe stayed and was officially introduced to the alleged landlord.
“These people [landlords] have a plan of the whole building showing where the spaces are. When you meet them they take your name and number and allocate a space to you. Then they tell you that you should not say a word about paying rent here. In fact they threaten to kill you if you ever identify who they are.
“This is the kind of life that we live – always in fear. We are scared of what would happen if we name these people. The environment is also not safe. Anybody can just walk in because there are no security guards at the gate and nobody cares who is coming in and what they are here to do.
“In the past some of the tenants from rural areas would settle their battles inside the building. It is a very difficult place to live in. We just live by the grace of God‚” she said.
A number of times the city disconnected electricity and water but the services were restored illegally‚ Radebe recalls. She said there was one tenant who organised all of the residents so that they could go pay directly to the city as letters of demand continued to arrive.
“This tenant got into serious trouble and the landlords wanted to kill him. He left the building fearing for his life‚” she said.
Radebe lives with six other people in a unit‚ all paying rent of R700 to their alleged landlord. The unit at Vanin Court allows Radebe to have a bed‚ wardrobe and basic necessities‚ but no kitchen.
But she says there are people who pay up to R1 000 for this. “Each unit here has its own landlord. There is no one person who owns or runs the whole place. I pay to the one attached to my unit and have to keep quiet.”
Radebe said she is willing to pay rent in an affordable place which can be provided by the city.
The reporter visited some of the buildings which had been hijacked but were reclaimed by the Johannesburg Social Housing Company. The rent for a single room with a communal kitchen and bathroom is R700.
“I would definitely love to move into a decent place. Here its is a very difficult situation. If it is affordable‚ I will definitely not mind going there. I think a lot of other tenants share the same view‚” Radebe said.
The city has already identified 85 hijacked buildings which will be renovated and turned into low-cost housing.
Mashaba promised to provide alternative accommodation during reconstruction.
*not her real name
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos