Housing rights movement Abahlali baseMjondolo has strongly criticized Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero’s recent enforcement campaign targeting informal settlements, calling it an unlawful and inhumane attack on the city’s poor.
The mayor has declared a “zero tolerance” approach to the rapid growth of informal settlements, citing concerns over illegal land occupation, sanitation, and crime. During a raid last Friday, city officials dismantled structures deemed unlawful, asserting that the operation was part of broader efforts to enforce by-laws and ensure orderly urban development.
However, Abahlali baseMjondolo, a grassroots organization representing shack dwellers, has accused the mayor of violating constitutional rights and criminalizing poverty. In an interview with SABC News, a spokesperson for the group argued that the crackdown disregards legal eviction processes and fails to address the systemic housing crisis.
“Evictions Must Follow Court Orders”
The organization emphasized that Section 26 of the South African Constitution prohibits evictions without a court order. “The mayor and police raiding people’s homes are violating their rights to dignity and privacy,” the spokesperson said. “Informal settlements are homes for people who have nowhere else to go. Demolishing them without due process is illegal.”
The group also rejected the city’s framing of informal settlements as hubs for crime and illegal immigration, calling it a politically motivated narrative ahead of next year’s local government elections. “This is the criminalization of the poor,” the spokesperson said. “The mayor wouldn’t barge into affluent neighborhoods like this—only the marginalized are treated with such brutality.”
Upgrading, Not Demolishing
Instead of forced removals, Abahlali baseMjondolo advocates for the government to follow its own informal settlement upgrading policy, which includes providing basic services, conducting proper community consultations, and addressing housing backlogs.
“The government must engage meaningfully with residents, not bulldoze their homes,” the spokesperson said. “People move to cities because rural areas lack jobs and opportunities. The solution isn’t eviction—it’s development.”
The organization warned that the crackdown echoes apartheid-era forced removals, where Black communities were violently displaced. “It’s tragic to see a democratic government repeating the same oppression against the poor,” the spokesperson added.
City’s Stance
City officials maintain that the enforcement actions are necessary to reclaim public and private land, ensure safety, and prevent unchecked urban sprawl. However, housing activists demand a more humane approach, calling for policy reforms and increased low-cost housing investments.
As tensions rise, the dispute highlights South Africa’s ongoing struggle with inequality, land access, and the rights of the urban poor. Abahlali baseMjondolo has vowed to legally challenge any unlawful evictions, setting the stage for a potential showdown between housing rights groups and city authorities.