Watch: Johannesburg mayor calls for Home Affairs backup after CBD raid

Videos showing crowds fleeing a Johannesburg CBD commercial building during a by-law enforcement operation have drawn widespread attention after Executive Mayor Dada Morero called for urgent assistance from the Department of Home Affairs to strengthen immigration enforcement.

The footage emerged as Executive Mayor Dada Morero called for stronger support from the Department of Home, SAPS and other agencies to verify the legal status of individuals encountered during inspections.

‘We cannot do it alone’

@HomeAffairsSA @Leon_Schreib @SANDF_ZA Minister, we have a serious challenge in Johannesburg that requires urgent intervention. We need a large-scale, coordinated law enforcement operation across the city.

Our ongoing operations keep revealing that a significant number of… pic.twitter.com/MvoQ5hjsJT

Executive Mayor: @CityofJoburgZA (@DadaMorero) July 14, 2026

Morero said immigration enforcement requires coordinated action between all spheres of government, adding that people legally in South Africa have nothing to fear from verification processes. The operation forms part of the city’s wider campaign against by-law violations and unsafe buildings in the CBD.

Videos shared quickly gained traction, with social media users divided between calls for stricter enforcement and concerns over how operations are conducted.

Joburg Etc previously reported on the city’s intensified CBD enforcement operations, as officials stepped up efforts to address illegally occupied buildings and improve public safety.

Urban development expert Lael Bethlehem has previously argued that lasting change in Johannesburg’s CBD requires more than enforcement, saying the inner city also needs sustained investment in infrastructure, building management and partnerships between government and the private sector to restore confidence.