Occupants living illegally at 21 Bompas Road are currently being evicted by the Red Ants on 6 April.

The Rosebank Killarney Gazette journalist Naidine Sibanda is on the scene.

Occupants said they were not warned beforehand regarding the eviction. One of the affected occupants, Elias Moukangwe, says, “The Red Ants just destroyed stuff, spilling infants’ milk, damaging their documents and other belongings.”

By 2pm, many occupants had been left without shelter as they crowded the pavements with their worldly possessions. Mattresses, bundles of clothes, suitcases and children’s toys are among the few items the occupants managed to take with them during the eviction.

Moukangwe said many of his fellow occupants came to the area to try and make a living, most are single parents and they have to hustle for jobs. Tshabalala Diale added, “Some of us are recyclers but we don’t do any illegal activities here.” 

The Gazette is in possession of the court order documents.

Ward 90 councillor Martin Williams, who has been reporting the problem property since 2017, said this is a private eviction.

Earlier last year, Bramley police Sector 4, Johannesburg Metro Police Department, and the South African National Defence Force conducted a joint operation at the property. Read the full story here: Joint operation deals with problem property

The Rosebank Killarney Gazette had earlier reported on the property in Property is problematic after years [Week ending 12 June 2020]. The article reported that Williams had raised concerns that there were about 45 people living there with no water or sanitation. An official from the City had confirmed that waste pickers were living there. The councillor said there was no immediate solution to the problem.

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