Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga took to the streets on Thursday with law enforcement in what he has called the “declaration of war” on crime and drugs.

Forming part of Operation Tswelopele, Msimanga along with the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), home affairs officials and members of the mayoral committee raided several suspected drug dens and brothels in Pretoria West.

Armed with search warrants, TMPD officers broke down doors to flats and houses. In one of the suspected drug dens, a man was found with Methcathinone, known as Cat.

“They planted them on me, I don’t even do drugs, I don’t sell drugs. I don’t even know what are those things,” the suspect told media.

He made the same claims when Msimanga spoke to him, asking the suspect where he came from and who he was supplying.

Msimanga also asked that his car be searched as the suspect alleged his identification papers were there. Msimanga also walked into a suspected brothel where a couple were “caught in the act” as he described it. The male was found with a white powder, which the narcotics team in the TMPD have taken for testing.

“We have closed a number of illegally operated shops. Other people were arrested for drug possession and dealing,” said Msimanga.

“This is the declaration of war.”

“We are declaring war on health issues, we are declaring war on unkept areas but more importantly, we are declaring war on crime and drug-related crimes,” said Msimanga.

TMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said two suspects in total were arrested for possession of drugs and dealing and one person was arrested for fraud.

The mayor also raided a number of properties which had illegally built dwellings on the property.

Some of the houses were built with bricks, while others with corrugated iron. These dwellings are being rented to foreign nationals, Msimanga said.

All the dwellings also had illegal electricity connections, which were disconnected immediately by the order of the mayor.

“My electricity team is busy closing connections. We are going to close them down,” said Msimanga.

He also commented on the shocking living conditions in the illegal dwellings, saying that the stench due to the number of people crammed into these small dwellings was bad.

During the raids, several people were also detained as they had no documentation to prove that they were in the country legally.

In conjunction with the operation, a number of parks in the area were cleaned and illegally parked cars impounded.

"We are going to continue with this operation, this being the first big one that we are doing but this is just the beginning,” Msimanga said. Tshwane Mayor along with TMPD, home affairs and other agencies ran a clean up operation on Thursday. A number of suspected drug dens and brothels were raided.