Demolition of Kharada shacks put on hold as excavators fail to arrive

The failure of excavators to arrive as well as suspected tip off to residents are believed to be the reason City of Johannesburg’s plans to demolish shacks at an informal settlement in Newclare failed.

The MMC for human settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, was expected to oversee the demolition of approximately 200 informal structures at Kharada informal settlement on the West Rand. However, the operation was postponed after contractors failed to arrive on site.

“The contractor who ought to have demolished the illegal structures did not make it to site,” said Mabaso.

There are also allegations that some of the residents must have been tipped off about the impending operations as many were not there. One yard had many shacks but the gate was locked and no one could go in.

“There must have been a tip-off here because some of the shacks are locked and some are empty. They have told each other that we are here,” one of the officials who were part of the team said.

The structures are believed to be obstructing an electrification project currently underway in the area.

Mabaso said the project has experienced delays due to additional informal structures being erected within planned service corridors, limiting access and affecting the safe continuation of infrastructure work.

Instead of proceeding with the demolitions, Mabaso, together with officials from department of Hhome affairs, metro police and other government entities, conducted a household verification process in the settlement.

During the operation, authorities arrested 20 undocumented foreign nationals, including two spaza shop owners whose shops were subsequently shut down after they allegedly failed to provide legal documentation permitting them to reside or operate businesses in SA.

“A total of 20 [undocumented] people were arrested on the day,” he said. “The intervention forms part of the city’s broader efforts to address challenges affecting the implementation of the electrification and upgrading project in the area.”

According to Mabaso, consultants and contractors for the project were appointed in 2024, but progress has been hindered by overcrowding and the rapid growth of the informal structures.

“The electrification project remains critical in improving living conditions, reducing illegal electricity connections, and enhancing safety for residents within the settlement,” he said.

Mabaso further revealed that officials also discovered that more than 2,000 undocumented foreign nationals allegedly living in the settlement during the verification process.

He warned that another operation would soon follow. “We cannot specify the date. The operation can be done anytime,” Mabaso said.

According to Mabaso, officials found that the settlement consists of approximately 1,800 South African residents and around 2,200 foreign nationals.

“You’ve got 1,800 residents verified to be South Africans and approximately 2,200 identified as foreign nationals. If we were to identify alternative land for relocation, it would mean we are accommodating foreign nationals, and that is not what we are going to do,” he said.

Mabaso added that the city would not seek alternative accommodation for South Africans residing in the settlement, but would instead remove undocumented foreign nationals from the area.

“We are not going to look for an alternative place for South Africans living here. We are going to remove the foreign nationals so that we are able to work in the informal settlement for the development of South Africans who are residing here and waiting for government to provide services,” said Mabaso.

The city said it remains committed to ensuring that all actions undertaken are in accordance with the law while prioritising public safety, infrastructure delivery and community engagement.