Johannesburg - The City of Joburg on Tuesday, said it was moving ahead with efforts to reclaim hijacked properties after its Council passed a report to enable the City to reclaim local community shops in Riverlea, south of Johannesburg.

Leah Knott, Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Economic Development, said in a statement that units within the building in question will be offered on sale to the community so it can meaningfully participate in Johannesburg's economy.

The City had previously handed over one of the units to a longstanding tenant in terms of the Land Regularisation Programme.

But it was found that the remaining shops were no longer in the hands of the original lessees and were in a serious state of disrepair, much to the Community’s frustration.

In 2018, Knott conducted an oversight visit in Riverlea, Kliptown and Eldorado Park as part of an ongoing property audit drive to ensure that use of the City's property followed not only legal processes but also benefited the residents.