The eThekwini Municipality has intensified its efforts to reclaim hijacked buildings. On Monday, it conducted an operation at a suspected hijacked building in Lancers Road in the CBD.
The eThekwini Municipality says its problem building programme is gaining momentum after it launched a multidisciplinary operation at a Lancers Road premises on Monday morning.
The city said in a statement that the early morning operation, led by the Durban Metropolitan Police Service (DMPS) in partnership with the SAPS, was conducted at a suspected hijacked building at 44 Lancers Road in the CBD.
It said several illegal occupants were taken in by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further processing, and alcohol allegedly being sold unlawfully at the property was also seized.
“The operation forms part of the Municipality's ongoing Inner-City Regeneration Programme, which is focused on reclaiming hijacked buildings, restoring public safety, and revitalising Durban's urban core. As part of the regeneration programme, 11 problem buildings have been refurbished by their owners, six have been demolished, including a major high-profile site, and 16 have undergone structural repairs to improve safety and habitability.”
