Bramley property owner illegally leases her yard to recyclers

City of Johannesburg (CoJ) is not only aware of the illegal recycling taking place in a Bramley property. A reporter visited the illegal recycling field, along with Ward 74 councillor Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjuku, on February 10. The councillor pointed out that she’d been writing to the CoJ for the past three years about the illegally occupied property.

“I have received various complaints about the property, and have sent these complaints to the City of Johannesburg manager. Residents are reporting an increase in crime in the area, and there are allegations that the recyclers are not only occupying the property; they’re jumping the wall into other properties.” City of Johannesburg’s spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane confirmed to the publication, on February 12, that, as part of the investigation, a special operation was conducted recently at the property located on High Road in Bramley with the JMPD Tactical Reaction unit (TRU) and Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) members. “The team requested the forensic information management centre to assist with tracing of the owner’s contact number.

The owner was contacted and she told the investigating team that she is in control of her property and that the occupants pay her rental.” Modingoane noted that the owner also informed the team that she intended to demolish the house on the property, because she intended to build another structure. The spokesperson detailed that one male, a recycler, was identified on the day of the operation. He informed the CoJ team that there were 10 recyclers.

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Some stayed on the property, while others only operated the business of recycling papers and plastics on the property. “There were five shacks made out of plastics on the property, and they were paying the owner rent to occupy. The property contravenes the City of Johannesburg’s Land Use Scheme, 2018, Section 10 of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 103 of 1977, and the City of Johannesburg Public Health By-Law, 2004,” said Modingoane.

He added that the environmental health department would issue a contravention notice of the public health by-laws to the owner. Development planning has also been requested to investigate contravention of the CoJ town planning scheme, and to take necessary legal action. GFIS will also monitor the progress.

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