Joburg officials raid another Bryanston mansion linked to alleged property hijacker

City of Johannesburg officials on Monday raided a second luxury property in Bryanston, believed to have been hijacked and managed by Lawrence Ramalwa — the same man allegedly linked to the first property.

The latest operation targeted a plush residence on Bryanston Drive, just days after law enforcement descended on a nearby mansion on Grosvenor Road.

Ramalwa was arrested during that earlier raid on January 8, after officials uncovered what they described as an illegal occupation scheme operating from the property.

He is accused of being the mastermind behind the property hijacking scheme at Bryanston.

City officials alleged that Ramalwa leased out makeshift dwellings erected on both sites, collecting rent from occupants while the lawful owners were sidelined.

During Monday’s raid, officials found additional informal structures built in the garden of the Bryanston Drive home, mirroring the setup uncovered at the Grosvenor Road mansion.

The raids form part of a broader municipal crackdown on property hijacking, a long-running crisis that has hollowed out large parts of Johannesburg.

While the problem has traditionally been associated with inner-city buildings, officials say syndicates are increasingly targeting high-value properties in wealthy suburbs, exploiting weak oversight, slow legal processes and housing desperation.

This is a developing story.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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