The Red Ants have been deployed at Esselen Park in the early hours of Sunday morning to stop possible illegal land occupation in the area.
Workers of the security services company had apparently been there on Saturday and Sunday.
According to reports, they are there to stop illegal buildings from being erected in an open veld between Birchleigh and Birchleigh North, close to Esselen Park.
The Red Ants were carrying equipment to prevent illegal structures from being erected. Residents of Birchleigh North told EXPRESS that people, suspected to be coming from Tembisa, had allegedly started land grabbing on Monday.
“These people started marking “stands” where they plan to build their homes (shacks),” a resident explained.
“On Monday morning the police caught and chased them away while they were allocating stands. But on Monday night at about 9pm they were back and the police again removed them.”
According to the resident, the persistent land grabbers were back again on Tuesday morning, this time carrying shovels and other tools to use for building. Residents also said the metro police were seen on Pongolariver Drive and Strydom Street in Birchleigh North, conducting road blocks on Saturday morning, and again on Sunday morning at the other entrance into Esselen Park on Link Road.
The metro police were apparently checking cars for people carrying tools and other building equipment. Some of the Red Ants said they had been in the area since 3am on Sunday and others said they had slept there overnight.
More information will follow.
