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The City of Johannesburg’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) officials seem to have one up on criminal elements after preventing suspected property hijackers from hijacking a property in Jeppestown.
The suspected property hijackers were taken in for question at the Jeppestown Police Station.
This is yet another success story by Operation Buya Mthetho, where Mayor Herman Mashaba has issued a stern warning against criminal elements in the City.
According to information received from GFIS, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) accompanied their officials to the property and found a group of armed men manning the entrance to the property. It is alleged that the caretaker of the hijacked property was threatened and chased away by the men. The suspected hijackers temporarily took control of the property, demanded that monthly rental should be paid directly to them and not to the owner.
The group of men were then removed from the property by JMPD and GFIS, and the property was handed to the owner who was advised to increase security personnel to the property.
“I am disappointed that a case could not be opened because the caretaker fears for his life. It is alleged that the caretaker was once shot and wounded when hijackers tried to hijack the property. Nonetheless, it pleases me to know that another property is taken back to the rightful owner,” said Mayor Mashaba.
Image by algoafm.co.za
Bringing back the rule of law by returning hijacked buildings back to their rightful owners is one of the ways Mayor Mashaba has promised residents to revitalize the Inner City to make it safe and habitable by lawful occupants. This is in conjunction with the launch of 71 properties that have been released for proposals to the private sector to redevelop the properties towards affordable housing, student accommodation and small business premises.
It is through this initiative that Mayor Mashaba would like to see the City’s economy grow at 5% by the year 2021 and create approximately 4000 temporary jobs during the construction phase.
GFIS was approached by an attorney acting on behalf of the rightful property owner, who reported that there was a group of people who were attempting to forcefully take over Grand Station.
The City has urged anyone who is a victim of property hijacking to come forward and report this criminality.
