NEWS JUST IN: Red ants evict residents in Kya Sand

Scores of Red Ants, Metro police and the Douglasdale police are demolishing shacks that were illegally erected at the Kya Sand Informal Settlement.

The operation officially began on Wednesday and has left many residents without homes, some of whom did not have a place to sleep as they didn’t have anywhere else to go.

The father of two children – whose home was demolished in the afternoon – said he could not even save his items. Charles Sithole said he slept outside with his spouse and children. “I couldn’t even save my items; some of my clothes were stolen since I was forcefully removed,” he said.

Douglasdale police spokesperson, Captain Bulan Muthan, said the operation has been in the planning stages since last week. “We are demolishing the shacks of people who illegally occupy the land,” he said.

One of the residents, who claimed to be a community leader, Nyauza Nongwevu, said residents were not warned about the eviction. “They should have provided residents with a court interdict to show that they are evicting people legally,” he said.

He complained that this act was cruel and has left many people without homes.

This is a developing story, more details to follow.