The Gauteng Infrastructure Department is in a court battle with some residents of Diepkloof, Soweto, who have unlawfully occupied the Bagomane Primary School.
The school closed down in the early 2000s due to low learner numbers and the residents decided to turn it into housing units in 2018.
Despite them sharing communal taps and toilets, with no access to electricity they have refused to leave.
They want government to provide them with houses.
The Department Spokesperson Theo Nkonki says they went to court because they want to ensure that the removal of the unauthorised occupants is within the law.