The rightful owner of a luxury Bryanston mansion remains locked out of her property, with illegal occupants defying a court order to vacate, in a hijacking case that has dragged on for nearly five years.
The situation came to a head this week when a notice to vacate within seven days, issued following a recent police raid, was ignored. Upon visiting the property, journalists found the main gate still locked, with individuals coming and going. One occupant, driving a BMW, refused to speak.
A man at the entrance, who identified himself as working for an alleged hijacker named Lawrence, claimed he was merely “cleaning the yard.” When asked why the owner was being denied access to her own property, he refused to answer, stating, “that kind of question I will not answer.” He would not confirm if or when the occupants would leave.
The homeowner’s nightmare began in 2020 when she returned from holiday to find over a hundred people illegally occupying her Bryanston home. The situation has since worsened, with counts during a recent police raid estimating more than 200 people on the premises.
The alleged ringleader, a man identified only as Lawrence, has previously claimed he is in the process of buying the property—an assertion flatly denied by the owner, who has spent years seeking legal recourse.
The owner’s spokesperson expressed profound frustration and exhaustion. “She has been trying to get recourse and to get these people out for the last 5 years,” the spokesperson said, highlighting the failure of the latest eviction notice. “They were given 7 days. Why are they still on the property?”
The case underscores the severe challenges property owners face in reclaiming hijacked buildings, where illegal occupants often employ delay tactics and refuse to acknowledge rightful ownership, despite court interventions.
Authorities have not indicated when further enforcement action will be taken.