A group of men who tried to hijack a derelict municipal property using a fake lease agreement letter was removed from the house through community intervention in Glenwood. 

It is alleged that the men arrived in a bakkie and walked onto the unsecured premises next to an open field on Davenport Avenue.

A source explained that the men began fixing the roof trusses, putting in windows, and erecting a wall around the premises.

They also called out a plumber to connect the water supply, and connected cables to the nearby street pole to get an electricity supply to the house.

The source said their efforts were thwarted when the community watch groups noticed the sudden changes on the premises.

Upon enquiring, the community leaders found that the men had a fake lease agreement.  

The letter contained a municipal logo, with the words, “memorandum of agreement between eThekwini Municipality and the lessee”. The letter stated: 

• The council hereby agrees to let the lessee and lessee agrees to hire from the council the premises.
• Notwithstanding the date of occupation by the lessees, this lease commences on 1 August 2025 and will end on 1 August 2125 and will continue thereafter on a month-to-month basis, subject to one calendar month’s written notice by either party. 

The letter stipulated that the lessee’s monthly rental, approximately R1,500, was to be paid to the council in advance and without any deductions.

eThekwini Ward 33 councillor Fran Kristopher said that the relevant authorities were notified and the men were removed. She added that the municipality is currently investigating the matter.

Gugu Sisilana, eThekwini municipality’s spokesperson, said that the municipality was aware of the recent incident at 33 Davenport Avenue. 

“The documentation presented by the alleged occupiers is fraudulent, as the legislated processes were not followed. The property in question was earmarked for a housing project and therefore could not have been sold or leased. The property and the adjacent land remain reserved for housing development,” she said.

The municipality cautions that the use of false documentation bearing the municipal logo is a serious offence.

Members of the public are urged to verify any municipal documentation before acting on it.

Suspicious activity or the use of fraudulent documents should be reported to the city’s Integrity and Investigations Directorate by calling 0800 20 20 20 or 031 311 4002, or by emailing ombuds@durban.gov.za

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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