After being suspended at the start of the month, the Red Ants are officially back in action. But the security services company have had their wings clipped ahead of their return, following an investigation by their governing body. The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) have laid down the law following one of their previous operations.
Red Ants under a magnifying glass
The Red Ants landed themselves in hot water when they demolished shacks and structures in the Alexandra township at the end of May. They ploughed through houses in typically robust style but ended up causing harm and distress to the residents – many of whom claimed that there was nothing illegal about their homes in the first place.PSIRA ended up agreeing with the locals, and barred the company from operating. However, their hiatus was a temporary one, and they will be back in business during an appeal against the suspension. However, there are now several things the Red Ants will have to do differently
How the Red Ants will now operate:
No evictions
Famous for being able to oust stubborn residents when they’ve previously refused to leave, the Red Ants will no longer be able to forcibly remove people from their properties at the behest of a landlord’s request.No demolitions
Following their nightmare in Alexandra, the group are forbidden from demolishing any type of structure as part of their operations. That includes temporary shacks erected during land grabs and any building within an informal settlement. Their last such action landed them with a series of misconduct reports.There is, however, a caveat to be aware of: Demolitions and evictions can be carried out in special circumstances, but it’ll be much different to what the Red Ants are used to – they must now apply to PSIRA on a case-by-case basis before they take any affirmative action:
