Joburg’s Upper Houghton mansions ‘now slumlord dumps’ — government admits failure

Young Avenue, bordering Bellevue East in Upper Houghton, was once a quiet, well-maintained residential street, but slumlords, the neglect of the Department of Public Works and the City of Johannesburg’s failures are fast turning the area into a dumping ground for overcrowded and poorly managed properties, with mansions being turned into high-density rental dumps.

Upper Houghton was declared a national heritage area in 2010. Young Avenue serves as a buffer between Upper Houghton and Bellevue East and is increasingly vulnerable to overcrowding, illegal service connections and unmanaged properties.

A Daily Maverick investigation reveals how two large state-owned properties have been left to slide into ruin, creating conditions that have opened the door for wealthy slumlords to move into the area, buy up large multi-room houses and profit off people desperate for accommodation.

As new owners buy up the old mansions and allegedly allow a large number of tenants to move in, residents say there’s little they can do except monitor and report illegal connections.

Over the years, the Department of Public Works abandoned two large properties — 17 Young Avenue/6 Acorn Lane and 35 Young Avenue.

The former was once the Transkei Consulate. The Yeoville Police Station moved its detective branch in for a while, but moved out in 2015. Both properties have been left empty, and vagrants have moved in and stripped all the furnishings, baths and fittings. In one case, even the roof has been removed.

The suburb has since come under increasing pressure as wealthy landlords have occupied properties and filled them with multiple tenants.

Residents claim there have been numerous attempts at hijacking the DPW properties and other empty houses. There have also been attempts to start a spaza shop and a spa, which they managed to stop.

The slumlord owners have, neighbours allege, over the years attempted to connect services illegally, but have been prevented from doing so following the vigilance of neighbours.

Read more: How to hijack a house — Bryanston’s cautionary tale

State failure

The condition of the state-owned properties has created both safety and environmental risks, says the Upper Houghton Residents’ Association.

A stormwater drain runs through the larger site from Yeoville toward Louis Botha Avenue, effectively creating an access route through the property. The collapse of sections of the boundary wall has further exposed the site, contributing to ongoing dumping and criminal activity.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure acknowledged the condition of the properties and confirmed they form part of a broader portfolio under review.

Spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson had raised serious concerns about the state of buildings in the department’s portfolio, including 17 Young Avenue, which has been vacant for more than a decade and has deteriorated due to inadequate security and maintenance.

“The minister views this failure to carry out basic responsibilities as wholly unacceptable,” Mabaso said.

He said 17 Young Avenue had previously been considered for leasing, including to a Montessori school, but this had not proceeded due to the condition of the building and compliance issues with National Treasury regulations.

Mabaso said the site had now been identified as a non-core property that could be released as part of a broader plan to make underused state assets available for public use.

“This forms part of the minister’s commitment to ensure that public assets are used for the public good,” he said, adding that “further announcements on the release of such properties are expected in the coming months”.

Problematic properties

No 9 Young Avenue is owned by Dr Ian Martin, who confirmed to Daily Maverick that 15 people were living on the property, although residents say the number is significantly higher.

Thabiso Okocha, managing agent for Martin, denied that the property was being used for slumlord-type activity. She said the property had legal water and electricity connections, was maintained and housed 15 tenants. She said the house, built in 1907, was being kept in good condition, including recent painting.

No 30 Young Avenue (and linked properties) — records reviewed by Daily Maverick show that 30 Young Avenue is owned by a company, K2012005233 South Africa Pty Ltd, which includes 30A Young Avenue, 2 Acorn Lane and 31A St Peter Road.

Residents say the property has multiple tenants who are allegedly allowed to sleep there at night and are not permitted to be there during the day.

One of the directors is Rafik Mohamed, linked to Pro Roof Industrial Park. However, Ben Phiri, a security manager for the property, told Daily Maverick that only two or three people were living there and looking after the property, which was soon to be demolished and rebuilt.

He admitted that services had been cut. He said he was working and cooperating with Upper Houghton residents to keep the property secure and that they were aware of plans for the site.

32 Young Avenue (Nedbank sale in execution) – a purchaser allegedly took control of the property after paying a deposit, but failed to complete the transaction, during which time the property was occupied.

The purchaser collected rent for months before the bank returned it for reauctioning. Nedbank declined to comment on the specific property, stating only that sales in execution were conducted in accordance with legal processes and purchasers were required to comply with the conditions of sale.

The sheriff’s office said its role was limited to conducting auctions and enforcing court orders, with responsibility for payment and post-sale processes lying with the parties involved.

6 St John Lane, or 152 Louis Botha Avenue, now has rows of tin-roofed structures and is advertised as a hotel/hostel under the name, “The Houghton Residence”.

Residents and local officials say no rezoning has been approved. Owner Graham Michael Pieterse told Daily Maverick he was surprised to hear the complaints, as he has been operating there for 15 years. He admitted he has no zoning permits to operate the establishment.

“The structures have tin roofs, but they are definitely not shacks. This is a well-run enterprise that caters for poor people who want to live decently. I have security at night, as well as a cleaning and maintenance team on the premises. I also have a borehole for water and no illegal electricity connections. I am in the process of selling the property, and probably, within the next two months, the transaction will be complete. The new owners plan to build a block of flats,” he said.

Residents afraid to speak

Not one member of the Upper Houghton Residents’ Association was willing to speak on the record. They say their members have been threatened by the slumlords.

Residents say it is only their constant vigilance – identifying problematic properties, stopping illegal businesses, reporting illegal connections, preventing hijackings and daily cleaning and the removal of dumped rubbish, which they say is often linked to properties without refuse collection, sometimes between 50 and 100 bags a week – that is keeping the suburb from slipping further into decline.

These issues point to a breakdown across multiple systems, including the management of state-owned assets, the enforcement of municipal by-laws and the regulation of property use, residents said.

“In combination, they are reshaping parts of Upper Houghton and undermining its role as a stabilising buffer between surrounding areas,” the association said.

“We are doing the work the City and state should be doing. We are in touch constantly with Public Works. We warn them and the banks when their properties are about to be hijacked, we report illegal connections, we collect rubbish dumped here from Yeoville daily.

“We have stopped illegal businesses from opening. Had it not been for us, the Yeoville decline creep would long have taken over Upper Houghton,” the association said.

Several homeowners have sold at reduced values due to deteriorating conditions, while others describe intimidation after raising concerns.

One former resident said she had ultimately decided to leave the area.

“I loved my home, but I could not continue living under these circumstances. This is a fringe area under threat. I already sold at below market value, and it would only have gotten worse.

“I blame these wealthy slumlords who are capitalising on poor people who are desperate for accommodation. In one house, the people told us they can only sleep there at night; they are not allowed to be there during the day in case the house gets raided,” he said.

Ward councillor Eleanor Huggett confirmed that Upper Houghton was a historically significant area where vacant properties were being vandalised and allowed to deteriorate, and that it was largely through the efforts of the Upper Houghton Residents’ Association – funding maintenance at their own cost – that the suburb continued to be sustained.

“You don’t need the whole area to collapse, you just need a few properties to tip the balance,” she said.

The Shah of Iran in Upper Houghton

Upper Houghton’s quiet residential streets also carry an unexpected piece of global history.

The house at 41 Young Avenue was originally built by mining-era figure Jack Scott. During World War 2, Reza Shah Pahlavi – the founder of modern Iran’s Pahlavi dynasty – was forced into exile after the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941. Removed from power under pressure from Allied forces, he was compelled to abdicate in favour of his son and was sent first to Mauritius and later to South Africa.

He arrived in Johannesburg in 1942 with his wife and six of his seven sons, spending his final years in Upper Houghton, then considered one of the city’s most prestigious residential areas.

Reza Shah died there on 26 July 1944.

His presence in Upper Houghton reflects the suburb’s long-standing status as an elite, well-maintained residential enclave, characterised by large stands, mature trees and architecturally significant homes from the early twentieth century.

The house today remains well-maintained and is still owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Residents say that history forms part of the area’s identity – and underscores what is at stake as parts of the suburb come under increasing pressure from neglect and changing property use. DM