The once renowned Central High School in Soshanguve Block H has turned to a home to the homeless after it was neglected by government following the 1995 student protests.
Government has tried several times to evict the squatters in the school that is also nicknamed Afghan, however, the unemployed, homeless, hawkers and students who have made the school their home are unshaken.
Some of the TUT students who are struggling with accommodation also find themselves squatting at the school.
One of the TUT student who did not want to be named, said he has been a resident at the abandoned school for the past three years because he has been unable to find accommodation at TUT and his parents do not afford rent and food money.
Running sewages, damaged infrastructure, unattended dumping sites, broken toilets as well as dangerous playgrounds are the health hazards faced by the young and old at Afghan.
In February 2017 the residents experienced a traumatic incident after a two year old girl fell into boiling water which caused her death.
One of the residents said democracy has brought no change to the lives of the poor and said if government renovated the school into a proper residential area, they will pay rent.
He also said the police do not attend to reported cases as such the residents decided to form their own committee to deal with the crime affecting them.
The residents said because government has not listened to their troubles for the past 21 years, they will be looking to the private sector for assistance to acquire the land.