Tshwane slaps 713 properties with penalty rates over illegal land use
Sarah Mabotsa, MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, said the suburbs where the illegal land use activities have been identified range from Arcadia to Zwavelpoort.
'The non-permitted land use activities range from unauthorised commercial activities in residential zones, through to illegal construction and land encroachments.
The implications of these violations on the city and its residents are significant, as they can lead to loss of revenue, inability to access critical servitudes, offer unfair land-use activity and commercial advantages to transgressors.' They can also increase the costs of policing for the city, and have potential safety and legal liabilities.'
The areas or farms she listed include:
– Alphenpark
– Annlin
– Arcadia
– Ashlea Gardens
– Atteridgeville
– Bon Accord
– Booysens
– Brooklyn
– Capital Park
– De Onderstepoort
– Derdepoort
– Die Wilgers
– Eersterust
– Elandsfontein
– Eldoraigne
– Ga-Rankuwa
– Garsfontein
– Haakdoornboom
– Hartebeesfontein
– Hazelwood
– Kameeldrift
– Kleinfontein
– Kudube
– Laudium
– Magalieskruin
– Montana
– Moreletapark
– Olievenhoutsbos
– Onderstepoort
– Pretoria Central
– Pretoria North
– Silverton
– Sinoville
– Soshanguve
– Sunnyside
– The Reeds
– The Willows
– Waterkloof
– Witfontein
– Zwavelpoort
She highlighted the financial magnitude of the properties under scrutiny, saying: 'The 713 properties have a combined municipal value of almost R1.4-billion, with the average property value being R1.9-million.'
She explained that township establishment laws are designed to prevent chaotic urban sprawl and ensure that the city infrastructure keeps pace with development.
'For example, when an estate is established legally, the developers contribute to the cost of expanding roads, water, sewage and electricity services. Those costs are then passed on to property purchasers.
When a development happens illegally, developer contributions could unfairly be expected to be paid for by all other ratepayers. Illegal developments can also place too much strain on available electricity or other services in an area,' she explained.
This comes after the recent report tabled and approved by the metro, listing the properties that have been referred by the Department of Economic Development and Spatial Planning to the finance department for implementation of penalty rates and taxes.
713 properties worth R1.357 billion have been referred for penalty rates & taxes for illegal land use activity. pic.twitter.com/XiFvOVHPr0
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) July 3, 2025
She emphasised that several properties or farms relate to illegal township developments where landowners have not adhered to development planning laws and regulations.
'The city's Department of Economic Development and Spatial Planning Department's Built Environment and Enforcement Division receives numerous complaints related to contraventions of zoning, national building regulations and the city's outdoor advertising by-law.
The recommendation to implement nonpermitted land-use rates is one mechanism we use to encourage landowners engaged in non-compliant land-use activities to correct their actions,' she said.
She added that the equitable enforcement of laws is a priority to help curb the illegal use of land.
'We want our city to be safe, clean and work for everyone. I thank our law-abiding developers and property owners who work with the city and within the national building codes to ensure that land use activities are compliant and that buildings are safe for people to use and occupy.'
She encouraged the legal development processes as they protect homeowners and residents.
'The processes ensure that homes are built on stable land and not in environmentally vulnerable areas. In some illegal estates, there has also been no formal subdivision of the land. This means that purchasers in illegal estates may not actually own the land that they live on,' she said.
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