Red Ants will have to issue 48-hour eviction notices

The controversial Red Ants Security Services will now have to give 48 hours notice before undertaking evictions, as well as check the validity of court orders authorising the removal of residents from informal settlements.

This is according to Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Jacob Mamabolo, who signed a memorandum of understanding with the private security services provider on Monday. The agreement comes just days after the Red Ants undertook another operation which left hundreds of informal settlement dwellers homeless.

The agreement could also be seen as a boost to the credibility of Red Ants, whose red overall donning personnel have become synonymous with evictions and removals at informal settlements.

Last week an operation by the Red Ants and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department reportedly left 350 people’s shacks destroyed in Zandspruit, Johannesburg, forcing residents to find alternative housing. According to residents the operation was unannounced, while the Red Ants claim the demolished structures were not occupied.

Mr Mamabolo said the agreement prioritised the right to dignity, verification of evictions ordered by a court and the protection of vulnerable groups.

"When doing an eviction it is important to look at the letter and the spirit of the Bill of Rights. However, this is not an intention to stop the execution of a valid court order. We want to improve how we implement these court decisions," Mr Mamabolo said.

Red Ants CEO Johan Bosch said the security company welcomed anyone who had information on illegal activity by people believed to be Red Ants personnel — implying that illegal evictions were done by criminals posing as the Red Ants.

"We wear red so that people can see if our staff is doing anything that should not be going down. In the Red Ants we are working against this, such as theft during removals and bogus evictions. People must have a watchdog system," Mr Bosch said.

Researcher at the Institute of Race Relations Kerwin Lebone said the ongoing relationship with the Red Ants showed that the provincial government found itself "between a rock and a hard place" balancing people’s rights and outside perceptions of the rule of law in SA.

"Any arbitrary invasion of land sends the wrong signal to international investors. In order for the government to protect itself from accusations of human rights violations and avoid violence altercations it would get a private business to carry the evictions out. The government has been trying a hands-off approach," Mr Lebone said.

Mr Lebone said to resolve ongoing land invasions, the government should also consider the location of low-cost housing projects, as informal settlements grow fastest in areas close to economic opportunities.

"Government has said before that just over half of beneficiaries of subsidised housing have title deeds. Government says it is working to speed up the process. They have moved 58% but it has nothing to do with the land in urban areas because the title deeds for these properties, if not 98%, are situated on the periphery of cities where people cannot access economic opportunity."