The anti-migration group, Operation Dudula has called for the rehabilitation of hijacked buildings in the City of Johannesburg.

The call follows complaints from residents of Rosettenville of heightened criminal activities in the area due to the rise in hijacked buildings.

The residents claim that owners are being forced out of their buildings by hijackers.

The group say the presence of these hijacked buildings poses a significant threat to the city’s finances due to illegal connections to electricity and water.

The group’s President Zandile Dabula says these buildings could be re-purposed to house citizens who have been awaiting government housing.

“We’ve been in communication with the office of the mayor, even the JPC because some of these properties belong to them and also the housing department. To says that we have always suggested that these hijacked properties are turned into RDP houses because there’s a long list of people waiting for RDP homes since 1996. Let them convert them into RDP homes and they will know who lives in those houses and people will pay services, even if it’s a flat rate.”