More than 500 arrested in connection with hijacked Johannesburg buildings

A total of 577 people have been arrested in connection with hijacked buildings in the city of Johannesburg.

Presenting his state of the city address in Braamfontein‚ mayor Herman Mashaba said he will not apologise for these arrests and the city's efforts will not subside in the fight against building hijacking.

"The rule of law must prevail. The reality of our city is‚ that many undocumented immigrants are forced to live on the fringes of our society with limited protection afforded to them. From the city's perspective‚ illegal immigration compounds serious challenges‚ not only for the provision of accommodation but for the provision of other basic services as well‚" Mashaba said.

Mashaba has received a lot of criticism for his tone against foreign nationals living in Johannesburg. His views attracted an intervention by the SA Human Rights Commission between him and organisations representing foreign nationals.

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