The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) supports the Tshwane Metro’s new Problem Buildings and Property Management By-Law as an essential tool to rehabilitate the inner city and other decaying areas.
The metro’s inner city is deteriorating due to hijacked buildings and criminal elements that destroy property values and threaten residents’ lives.
The Freedom Front Plus emphasises that law-abiding taxpayers deserve a municipality that takes decisive action against urban decay.
This by-law strikes the right balance: it gives the city sufficient powers to act against negligent landlords, while strictly upholding constitutional property rights.
All evictions must take place in accordance with the PIE Act (Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act) and can only be carried out with a court order. Administrative interventions remain subject to the Constitution.
The Freedom Front Plus supports the by-law because it strengthens national legislation, but warns that a clear distinction must be made between:
• Orchestrated crime (such as hijacked buildings), where the state must prioritise restoring the victim-owner’s rights and criminal prosecution; and
• Abandoned or dilapidated buildings, which require structured, legal redevelopment.
The party stresses that fair compensation for owners who are victims of crime must be more clearly regulated, possibly through national legislative amendments.
The Freedom Front Plus views this by-law as a positive step towards a safer and more liveable Tshwane, provided that court processes and property rights are upheld at all times.
