Lenasia calm after violent clashes between Red Ants and residents

Lenasia was calm on Saturday after a Red Ants eviction that left two people dead and many injured on Friday.

SA Police and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department said they had been monitoring the area where Red Ants were deployed on Friday to demolish illegally constructed shacks erected on municipal owned land in Univille‚ Lenasia south.

Both law enforcement agencies said the area was calm and that no incidents of violence were reported on Saturday.

“The eviction was immediately suspended on Friday after two people died and many were taken to hospital after the violent clash between the Red Ants and the illegal occupiers of the land‚” said Captain Hector Netshivhodza.

Police were investigating two cases of murder and numerous assault cases‚ he said.

According to police‚ one person was shot and the other assaulted by the Red Ants.

JMPD spokesman Wayne Minaar said they were also monitoring the area but no incidents were reported.