The net is closing on Joburg's inner-city building hijackers. Since August, 10 arrests have been made, which include two alleged kingpins involved in hijacking syndicates. Superintendent Greg Beck, of the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit, said police were finally taking building hijackings seriously and not regarding them as civil cases anymore.
One of the biggest suspects is alleged syndicate head Themba Mkhumbuzi, who is being investigated for charges regarding the hijacking of 26 high-rise buildings in the inner city, Braamfontein and Hillbrow. He is in the Joburg Central police station awaiting bail.
Beck said Mkhumbuzi used Internet loopholes in the Companies and Intellectual Properties Registration Office (Cipro) and would falsify company records, declaring himself a director with the authority to sell buildings.
Beck said although Mkhumbuzi was being charged with only six cases, he was investigating the hijacking of a further 17 high-rise buildings.
Following Beck's investigations, Cipro had made its Internet system tamper-proof.
"Many of the owners don't even know they no longer own their own buildings," he said.
In the most recent case, heard last week in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, William Malulia appeared over his purchase of Angus Mansions at 268 Jeppe Street for R3.5-million from Mkhumbuzi. But he has turned state witness, claiming he was not aware that the building had been hijacked.
The Trust for Urban Housing Finance, which assists emerging entrepreneurs with money to purchase buildings, paid out the R3.5m allegedly pocketed by Mkhumbuzi and his attorney.
The organisation did not respond to requests for comment.
A Kenyan national, Gilbert Karimi, was also arrested in connection with the alleged fraudulent sale of 196 Market Street through Mkhumbuzi. The transferring attorney, said Beck, was arrested, but the case was provisionally suspended.
Another suspect Beck is investigating is a man who operates under an alleged NGO which claims to assist people with housing.
He allegedly gets information from the City of Joburg about insolvent estates, people who are in arrears or who are out of the country, and then approaches the tenants or owners, claiming that he is the new owner of the property. Violence is often used.
Another suspect Beck is investigating claims to be an attorney working on behalf of the City of Joburg and the Gauteng housing department. He is allegedly well known for his hijacking activities in the Malvern area.
A further major arrest was that of James O'Shea in August in connection with six cases of building hijackings. A number of other cases are pending against him.
O'Shea allegedly purchases houses or blocks of flats in the inner city on auction. He then immediately tells tenants or owners that they must vacate the premises before he takes ownership.
He then allegedly fails to take transfer, but collects rentals from the new tenants he places in the buildings. When the banks finally take action, he flees, after having collected rentals for months, said Beck.
Last week, two women who work at City Power in Booysens, one as a team leader and the other as a data capturer, appeared in the Johannesburg magistrate's court on fraud and corruption charges totalling R7m relating to the issuing of clearance certificates. They are out on R20 000 bail each.
"These women don't realise that they are assisting criminals by issuing false clearance certificates.
"Since all these arrests, we believe the scale of hijackings has dropped dramatically. We are expecting to arrest more attorneys and staff at the Deeds Office for collusion," said Beck.
Three alleged hijackers in Yeoville are also under investigation. Complainant Patience Nogcansti, said Beck, alleges that the suspects hijacked a building she has purchased in Yeoville.
One suspect was arrested but was later released on bail.
Beck said the two women worked for "runners" who worked with attorneys and building hijackers to get clearance certificates. The case was postponed.
Three years ago, police would not handle these cases, arguing they were civil matters.
"We later discovered that these hijackings are related to other serious crimes such as drug dealing, prostitution, theft, damage to property, trespassing and intimidation ... We are taking this very seriously," said Beck.
