WATCH | Airport Park tenants in Germiston face eviction over R85m debt

Tenants at Airport Park Phase 2, a housing complex owned by Ekurhuleni municipality in Germiston, have not paid since 2020 and owe R85m in rent as well as over R40m in rates and taxes.

This according to Zingisani Nkamana, chief operating officer of Ekurhuleni Housing Company (EHC) which manages the property.

According to Nkamana, the amounts date as far back as 2020 when this property was subject to hijacking were residents stop paying rent and others illegally occupied it.

He was speaking to Sowetan against a backdrop of hundreds of occupants of Airport Park complex being evicted yesterday arising from a court order by EHC to deal with unlawful occupation. This is one of five complexes in Germiston under the company’s management including Pharoah Park, Airport Park, Delville, Chris Hani, and Delville Ext 9.

“HistoricallyPharoah Park, Airport Park and Delville — which we call PAD —complexes have been hijacked by unlawful occupants who had taken over the property and not paying rentals and rates and taxes that are due.

“We had to go to court to seek an eviction order. We got the eviction order for Pharoah Park in June 2025 and executed it in August. Subsequent to that we got another eviction for Airport Park which we got in September.

“However, the unlawful occupants challenged it but in November the court refused it, giving the residents two months to move out or make arrangements to pay.”

Nkamana said Airport Park has about 300 units with 278 households facing eviction.

“The collective amount that is in arrears owed by the unlawful occupants is about R85m. As the entity we owe the City of Ekurhuleni R46m in municipal services for the same property because if tenants don’t pay their rentals or services it becomes difficult for the entity to pay to the City. These problems go as far back as 2020. The entity is really at the brink of collapse, hence we are taking these actions,” he said.

On the sidelines of the evictions, tenants had different versions on the issue of non-payment. One said he had moved into the property in 2024 and paid rent up until July 2025 when eviction threats started.

“I was confused about whether I should continue paying rent or not because we were told all of us would be thrown out.”

He said his problems started when the lease agreement unit was transferred into his name, which then suggested that he owed huge amounts going way too far back “than I have occupied the unit”.

“I went to the office on several occasions to have the unit changed into my name but it never did, so that is how I found myself subject to this eviction. I have not paid rent and taxes since August,” the resident said.

Another resident said she was employed when she moved in and could afford rent but was unable to keep paying when Covid hit as she lost her job.

“This is my home, I have nowhere else to go now. The housing company could at least provide us with an alternative accommodation until we figure out where to from here. Our children are at school and it’s before month end to get some grant money.”

Another woman said she had been renting and paying directly to the person who had the lease and was therefore unaware of the arrears.

Nkamana said EHC is not mandated to provide alternative housing for the evicted, and placed responsibility on the city.