[LISTEN] Red Ants granted provisional green light amid civil society uproar

The controversial private security company, The Red Ants, have been granted permission to perform security services while they appeal their suspension.

The Red Ants were suspended this week following complaints from residents in Alexandra and the Ramaphosa settlement about the treatment they received during evictions earlier this year.

ALSO READ: Security regulator suspends Red Ants for ‘improper behaviour’

The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA)'s Advocate Linda Mbana says that they will now be allowed to operate again provided they no longer perform demolitions and evictions.

However, Mbana says they would consider applications from the company to perform demolitions and evictions, depending on the circumstances. “We are prepared as PSIRA to consider on a case by case basis an application for them to do demolitions and evictions (where) those operations cannot be cancelled or postponed for whatever reasons, and if they can prove that those operations are of a very high degree of importance,” she said.  

The Red Ants have been accused of causing several deaths while carrying out evictions and could lose their operating licence permanently.

Right2Know’s Thami Nkosi says it is unacceptable that they are still being allowed to operate and that their suspension should stand in full until the committee has come to a decision.

“It’s not a problem with the Red Ants alone but it’s also with PSIRA itself and how it in forces its laws and how it in forces its policies. It’s actually a double jeopardy because you have PSIRA who essentially are colluding with the red ants,” he says.

Police Minister Bheki Cele is currently in process of appointing an appeals committee who will decide on the Red Ants’ future.