--- title: "Joburg’s silent siege — Kensington residents move out as home hijackers move in" description: "Abandoned and hijacked homes in Johannesburg’s Kensington are driving residents out as illegal extensions, overcrowding and utility theft pile up costs and erode property values." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "BROKEN HOMES" author: "Naledi Mashishi" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/naledi-mashishi/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-28-joburgs-silent-siege-kensington-residents-move-out-as-home-hijackers-move-in/" published: "2026-09-28T23:14:16" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 1432 --- # Joburg’s silent siege — Kensington residents move out as home hijackers move in > Abandoned and hijacked homes in Johannesburg’s Kensington are driving residents out as illegal extensions, overcrowding and utility theft pile up costs and erode property values. By Naledi Mashishi · Published 29 September 2026, 01:14 SAST ## Key points - Abandoned and hijacked homes are driving Kensington residents out, eroding property values and turning historic suburbs into easy pickings for syndicates. - Some landlords illegally cram up to 20 tenants into converted houses, siphoning electricity and water from neighbours and leaving residents with bills of up to R456,400. - Hijackers reportedly target elderly homeowners through intimidation, sham tenancy agreements and property-loan scams – while yearslong court delays help them stay put. - Residents say municipal fines, weak enforcement and unreliable policing are no deterrent. The City promises investigations, but community leaders warn prevention remains the only defence. ## Content In Milner Crescent, a main road in the hilly Johannesburg suburb of Kensington, there stands a dilapidated ruin. The roof is missing, all the pipes and floorboards have long been stripped, and tall weeds have taken over what was once the garden. Owned by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, it is said to have housed members of the SA Police Service (SAPS). Over the years, it has had rotating security guards. Residents claim that a human skeleton was found buried under the floorboards. Yet, despite numerous complaints, the building still stands. “We’ve been approached by many buyers to buy that property... It’s completely dilapidated and in ruins and a bit of an eyesore because it’s on the main road,” said Isabella Pingle, an estate agent in the area and a member of the Kensington Heritage Trust. The building is one of a growing number of abandoned and hijacked buildings in the area that have led to an exodus of longtime residents. In some cases, the buildings have been abandoned by owners or tied up in estates and are taken over by hijackers who move in tenants and charge rent. [Read more How to hijack a house — Bryanston’s cautionary tale February 1, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/96WpTgwkTtR29otwUvvowezAFNo=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/orphans/ED_592095_958632.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-01-how-to-hijack-a-house-bryanstons-cautionary-tale/) In other cases, houses have been sold to owners who illegally convert them into rental units that house up to 20 people. These landlords pay cash for the homes, according to community members, as getting a home loan would require them to submit approved building plans to the bank. The hijacked properties often make illegal utility connections to neighbouring homes, saddling paying residents with astronomical bills. Kensington homeowners – speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation – showed Daily Maverick municipal statements dating back to 2018, with outstanding balances ranging from R247,000 to R456,400. Pingle says the crisis is leading to more residents moving out of the area and driving down property values. “Nobody wants to buy a property next to a hijacked property or an overcrowded property, because they’re not going to get a return on their investment and the bank might not even give them a bond,” she said. ![Naledi- Kensington](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/7F7FL8PcYvi9a7ydA6b0WSN705E=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WFD_2407_216230.jpg) *The ruins of a house in Kensington, Johannesburg. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ### Service delivery impact Some problematic properties were legally purchased and illegally developed. A member of the Kensington Residents and Ratepayers Association (KRRA), who spoke on condition of anonymity as many of his colleagues have been threatened by slumlords in the area, showed Daily Maverick a list of addresses where the owners allegedly built unauthorised structures and moved dozens of people in. “What happens as soon as a house is sold here, we see people like a week later having a load of sand and bricks arrive. And they start building straight away,” he said. Many of these landlords do not live in the area and do not maintain their properties, say residents. The overcrowded properties have a direct, negative impact on service delivery throughout the area as the infrastructure is not upgraded to keep up with the new demand. ![Naledi- Kensington](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/E-3cvB1x2cjlNS4UpjfCNFnyYMg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WFD_2404_544314.jpg) *An abandoned house in Kensington, Johannesburg, reflecting the area’s ongoing challenges with neglected properties, illegal occupation and deteriorating living conditions. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* “We don’t have a stable electricity supply, we don’t have a stable water supply, we’ve got a sewer system that doesn’t work. Kensington has got \[about\] 4,000 households ... and a few years ago we used to have like 30,000 residents, but there’s a few thousand residents a year that get added to it,” said the KRRA member. As the properties are privately owned, the association’s only recourse is to report problematic landlords to the City. “When the department receives a complaint on possible extension, a building inspector goes out on site to investigate,” said City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane. “If the owner cannot provide approved building plans, they are issued with a contravention notice and given time to comply. They may also be issued with a Section 56 fine, which criminalises the contravention immediately or if they fail to comply with the notice. When the contravention notice period expires and compliance has not been achieved, then rate penalties are imposed and the litigation process commences.” However, he said, this does little to deter landlords, who make enough money from their tenants to easily absorb the penalties. ### Brute force Richard Keith Francis, chairperson of the Cleveland Community Policing Forum (CPF), said property hijackings had escalated across Kensington, Bruma, Malvern, and Jeppestown over the past two to three decades. Francis, who has personally handled seven or eight cases in the area, noted that hijackers typically rely on three main tactics. “There’s one: the brute force, where they scare the hell out of either the owner or the person that is living there. They basically just chase them out and put in their own people,” he explained. ![Naledi- Kensington](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/WWbQ6oDxr_6xkOI53hJbTwGQ_Po=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WFD_2431_440912.jpg) *A house in Kensington with unapproved structural additions. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* “Another methodology is that they pretend to be interested in being a long-term good tenant, but once they’re in the property, it’s impossible to get them out, and then they just bring all their friends and family and other people, and then they’ve hijacked the property. “And then my third personal favourite one is where people are using South Africans, mostly young girls, to purchase properties and then once the property has been purchased, they default on the bank loan and also they stop paying the rates and taxes for however many years it takes the bank in the City of Johannesburg to wake up. Then they’re just collecting cash and moving on to another house until eventually they’re gotten rid of. It takes years.” Francis added that when using the first two methods, the hijackers target vulnerable homeowners, such as pensioners and tenants who don’t know their rights. Kensington is particularly susceptible owing to its large population of pensioners, many of whose family members have moved away. “They \[hijackers\] normally pitch up in a van. So there’s like eight or 10 of them, \[and\] one or two of them have firearms. And they basically tell the people living there to go somewhere else, and they hijack your property,” said Francis. The criminal syndicates are highly organised and allegedly recruit people from hostels to do the heavy lifting, paying them as little as R40 to intimidate residents into leaving their homes. ### Legal process Compounding the issue is the law. Property owners must report hijacked houses to the police as trespassing cases within 48 hours; otherwise, under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act ([PIE Act](https://caf.co.za/a-finger-in-the-pie-prevention-of-illegal-eviction-from-unlawful-occupation-of-land-act/)), squatters gain legal rights and cannot be evicted without a court order. [Read more Joburg’s 188 hijacked buildings: Nine years, seven court orders, only one eviction January 20, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/9uhl7P_miSygK_gwEHIV1SzjIAM=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/orphans/ED_466562_206657.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-20-joburgs-188-hijacked-buildings-nine-years-seven-court-orders-only-one-eviction/) The court process can be slow. Francis has seen a case in which it took an owner 10 years to reclaim their property from a hijacker. The response from the SAPS and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police can also be hit-or-miss, with some officers being highly responsive. Francis is aware of “credible allegations” that some officers are colluding with hijackers. Stressing that prevention is better than cure, he shared several precautions residents should take: > “Don’t leave your house empty. Also, if you’re going away for a long holiday, notify your neighbours. Notify your security companies ... your neighbours \[and\] the CPF that you’re going away, and if something looks suspicious, rather call it and be wrong than keep quiet and you’re right, because it’s very difficult after that 48 hours to get rid of people.” Contacted by Daily Maverick, Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko could not clarify whether the SAPS had investigated hijacked property cases in the area and did not comment on the allegations that officers were colluding with hijackers. ### City identifying problem properties City of Joburg spokesperson Modingoane told Daily Maverick that the City was conducting a multidisciplinary operation with law enforcement departments to identify and investigate problem properties and was conducting awareness campaigns on the issue. ![Naledi- Kensington](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/1r5ZiJY6s-MH679kuEswgU9rVJc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WFD_2393_276784.jpg) *A neglected house in Kensington. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* “After identifying or receiving complaints, Group Forensics and Investigation Services will conduct investigations,” he said. “In cases where investigations revealed that there are elements of property hijacking, the matter will be referred to the South African Police Service for further investigation. There are instances wherein members of the public will report matters which are not related to property hijacking; in such matters, the complainant will be advised of the processes that should be followed.” He said residents whose properties had been hijacked should immediately contact the City’s [Revenue Shared Services Centre](https://joburg.org.za/departments_/Pages/City%20directorates%20including%20departmental%20sub-directorates/Revenue-Shared-Services-Centre.aspx) to request disconnection. **DM**