The City of Johannesburg has begun removing homeless encampments from inner-city areas like Constitutional Hill in preparation for the G20 Summit on 22-23 November 2025, without clear relocation plans. Officials have also repaired potholes, fixed street lights and ensured no power or water cuts along key routes. Critics call the efforts superficial, highlighting the city's ongoing struggles with homelessness and infrastructure.
On 13 November 2025, City of Johannesburg officials and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) arrived at homeless encampments around Constitutional Hill with construction vehicles, loading belongings into trucks for removal ahead of the G20 Summit. Homeless individuals, clustered near the Wanderers taxi rank, expressed uncertainty about their next steps. Tebello Molete from Sebokeng told Daily Maverick, “I don’t know where I will go, but I was told by the police... to go home. But I cannot go home. I wouldn’t be here if I had a safe and warm home.” JMPD officers were heard asking people where they were from and instructing them to return home.
Mayor Dada Morero stated that the city is “still engaged in talks regarding homeless people” and must “find a better way of how we better manage homelessness.” Group Corporate and Shared Services MMC Sithembiso Zungu added that the issue “has been one of the issues in the agenda in our meetings.” Johannesburg's homeless population, estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 by some sources and 8,692 by the 2022 Census, far exceeds shelter capacity. The city operates only two functional shelters—Windsor West and 1 Dan Street, each accommodating 60 people—after the 300-bed Kotze Street facility closed in 2023.
Broader preparations include overhauling 30 substations for reliable power, rehabilitating street lighting on strategic routes, and reinforcing water infrastructure at Rand Water’s Eikenhof Pumping Station. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi promised no power or water cuts during the event. Improvements were noted on routes like the R24 and N3, with resurfaced roads and lit highways, though some areas remain dark. The city announced on 11 November 2025 that “Johannesburg is as ready as it will ever be for the G20 Summit.”
Advocates like Mary Gillet-de Klerk of the Johannesburg Organisation of Services to the Homeless criticized the moves as providing “a glossy version for G20” without lasting solutions, calling for a coordinated approach including outreach, drop-in centers and safe spaces. Ward 67 councillor David Mothapo Modupi noted failed efforts to reunite homeless with families, saying the city has “given up.” Reader responses reflect mixed sentiments: gratitude for fixes but fury over the cosmetic nature, with one calling it “lipstick on a pothole” and another praising community resilience. Similar clearances occurred during the 2010 FIFA World Cup without proper plans.