{
  "id": 12406047,
  "title": "‘We warned them’: Tenants evicted from illegal apartments in Tshwane",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/we-warned-them-tenants-evicted-from-illegal-apartments-in-tshwane",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-06T15:12:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/we-warned-them-tenants-evicted-from-illegal-apartments-in-tshwane/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tenants of an illegally constructed apartment complex in Pretoria West witnessed their lives upended as city officials carried out a swift eviction on Tuesday. The 25-unit building, located on Kiepersol Street, featured unfinished stairs and a substandard construction. The City of Tshwane had previously warned the occupants, with MMC Flora Monama noting that the city had visited the property multiple times with eviction warnings. Despite being advised to vacate the premises, the tenants persisted, owing the city over R41,000 in back rent.\n\nMonama elaborated that alongside the eviction, the city would render the property uninhabitable by removing essential elements such as windows, doors, and ceilings. The tenants were stunned, having lived in the building for over a year without knowledge of its illegality. One resident expressed their shock, citing that they had moved out Monday after power was temporarily cut, only to find their possessions removed by the city on Tuesday.\n\nThe eviction process was conducted by the Tshwane Metro Police Department, collecting the tenants' belongings and depositing them on the sidewalk. The city, currently without a dedicated demolition budget, pledged to demolish the property once financial resources permit. Meanwhile, in the city center, Mayor Nasiphi Moya was overseeing efforts to combat illegal trading, inspecting businesses for illicit connections and verifying registrations.",
  "summary": "MMC Flora Monama says the building will be demolished when the City of Tshwane has the finances to do so.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}