eThekwini Municipality takes action against squatter camps in Warwick Triangle
In November 2025, the municipality cleared the vacant land on Bentley Street, erected fencing and added barbed wire. Vagrants and drug addicts had moved onto the site creating a problem for pedestrians.
Image: Supplied
The eThekwini Municipality has moved swiftly to prevent a vacant property on Bentley Street in the Warwick Triangle from becoming a squatter camp recently.
Following the removal of drug addicts and homeless people from the Albert Park vicinity, splinter groups have moved into the suburbs of Berea and began turning vacant properties into makeshift houses with plastic tents.
In April 2025, the municipality cleared tons of waste under the N3 flyover in Warwick Avenue next to the Early Morning Market. This massive illegal dump stemmed from vagrants who used the area for their accommodation. Unauthorised structures were also dismantled and cleared.
Residents and business owners in the Warwick Triangle area, who did not want to be named, complained of being harassed on a daily basis by a sudden influx of vagrants and criminals.
In May 2025, the municipality cleared vagrants occupying Milton/Acorn Road however, vagrants had removed the fencing and returned to the site.
Image: eThekwini Municipality
Business owners were also concerned about the drug den and informal housing structures that have been built on vacant municipal land on Milton/Acorn Road, in close proximity to mini bus and bus ranks. In May 2025, the municipality cleared the vagrants occupying Milton/Acorn Road however, vagrants had removed the fencing and returned to the site.
“I have been in business for 45 years in this area and it's become difficult to trade without having to chase off thieves. They harass delivery vans and pedestrians throughout the day,” a businessman said.
Another businesswoman said her customers were also harassed and that something needed to be done to get rid of the homeless people that have entered the area.
In November 2025, the municipality cleared the vacant land on Bentley Street, erected fencing and added barbed wire.
eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the properties on Bentley Street and Acorn Road remain in the land assembly phase, pending final comments from service delivery directorates regarding servitudes for roads and sewer infrastructure.
“The property at Douglas Lane has been cleared by the relevant service delivery directorates. The city continues to monitor these areas, and the metro police conduct regular operations to manage unlawful occupation and ensure safety. The municipality is also exploring options to secure the vacant land, subject to budget availability," she said.
In September 2025, during a Town Talk meeting, the municipality said that regular enforcement is carried out block by block in the inner city, which has resulted in more than 8,000 charges in the last financial year. Since the commencement of the programme, approximately 18 months ago, 375 integrated enforcement operations have been carried out. Around 1,500 joint clean-up operations were conducted with more than 2,050 tons of waste removed.
In November 2025, the municipality cleared a vacant land on Bentley Street, erected fencing and added barbed wire after vagrants and drug addicts moved onto the site.
Image: Supplied