Johannesburg - The Red Ants will give the Gauteng Human Settlements Department 48 hours before executing an eviction.
This comes after Human Settlements MEC Jacob Mamabolo signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the security relocation and eviction company in Johannesburg on Monday.
According to the agreement obligations, the Red Ants will be expected to carry out evictions in a manner that does not violate the dignity and human rights of those affected by the eviction.
The Red Ants will also assist with the protection of vulnerable groups in the event of an eviction.
MEC Mamabolo said under the agreement, the department will communicate whenever an eviction is eminent or is anticipated by the Red Ants.
He said a senior department official will always be available when their intervention or assistance is required when the Red Ants are notified of an eminent eviction.
Once such information is received, the senior official from the Security Directorate of the department will forward the same information to the Rental Tribunal and the MEC’s Office.
MEC Mamabolo said part of what they will be doing with the Red Ants will centre on verifying the validity of the eviction order.
He said last Friday, a syndicate using an illegal eviction orders was arrested for allegedly trying to evict 350 families from a flat in central Johannesburg.
Mamabolo said while the agreement shows that vulnerable groups will now be treated with dignity during eviction, there were cases that will never be tolerated by government.
“There are cases that we will never tolerate and this includes illegal invasion of land or property, hijacking of any building, taking over houses meant for the poor and the use of women and children as shields during the illegal occupation of land to score cheap political points will never be accepted,” he said.
Red Ants CEO Johan Bosch said: “I think it will clear a lot of misunderstanding because government will know what we will be doing and we know what government wants... In the past, government would just see an eviction taking place but [lacked] more information on why it was happening.
“Now with this agreement, the department will be fully aware of all the evictions we will be carrying out. Our work is only evictions. We do the ones that nobody else wants to do - that is why we end up in the hot seat all the time.
“Through this agreement, we can report back to the department whether things went right or wrong, and we will be open for advice. If they want to mediate between parties, they will be welcome to step in, but it should be before the eviction.
“I think a lot of assistance such as social welfare to the vulnerable will come from the department going into the future.”
Chairperson of the Gauteng Housing Rental Tribunal, Mamodupi Mohlala, said: “In terms of the work of the Tribunal, it will help immensely because one of our mandates is to create proper balance in power between landlords and tenants, especially the vulnerable groups such as women, people with disabilities and children, and the illiterate, who cannot understand the terms of the residential contract.
“This agreement will facilitate an interaction for the vulnerable groups so that when it is legally done, we can step in to mediate a solution.” – SAnews.gov.za
