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Johannesburg – The Red Ants were yesterday preparing to remove a group of people who had illegally occupied land at Extension 34 in Etwatwa at the weekend, said the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department. Spokesperson Clifford Shongwe said the police and EMPD were called to the the scene on Saturday as the land invaders, mostly dressed in EFF t-shirts, erected structures on the land.

The land occupied is close to the Sentrarand Transnet Depot.

“The said land invaders when told to vacate the land . . . demanded the presence of the ward councillor to come and address them,” said Shongwe. “It’s alleged they were earlier spotted by the MMC of Human settlement, Aubrey Nxumalo. He then called EMPD to deal with the situation.”

Scores of officers were brought in to deal with the large crowd.

“All the negotiations failed as police persuaded them to leave the vacant land,” Shongwe said, adding that the land invaders claimed to have waited for too long for houses..

“Invaders vowed they wouldn’t move,” Shongwe said. — Sapa