Durban - Durban Metro Police has warned of more evictions in buildings that are occupied without permission.
The Metro Police conducted a raid and evicted occupants in a building in Johannes Nkosi Street in Durban on Monday morning.
Metro Police head Sibonelo Mchunu confirmed the action by law enforcement officers on Monday.
“Yes, it was an eviction that was conducted this morning, ” he said.
The dilapidated building had been used as a storage facility by street traders, and there was suspicion that it was also a haven for drug addicts.
The metro team was seen issuing orders for merchandise owners to remove their items from the building, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers who watched from the pavement.
Mchunu warned that the eviction was one of many in the pipeline as authorities had identified the illegal occupation of buildings as a concern.
“We do have a problem with a number of buildings that are occupied illegally, and we will continue clamping down against this because everything needs to be done within the premise of the law,” said Mchunu.
Dilapidated and unused buildings have been cited as a source of urban decay by many cities in the country, and eThekwini has had its fair share of the challenge.
Mchunu stressed that they would not allow illegal activity to take place in the CBD buildings.
