February 10, 2003
By Jonews Reporter
PIONEER PLACE is the name of an eight storey building in Berea, Johannesburg, which has been in such bad state that its owner needed police escort every time he wanted to visit the place.
Last week, the Johannesburg High Court issued an immediate court order for the illegal occupants to be evacuated from the building following application by the owner.
A convoy of officers from the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and South African Police Services, together with security guards in red overalls, known as the Red Ants and officials of the By-law Enforcement Unit, pounced on the premises on Friday.
Enforcement Unit head Allan Wheeler said although the building had been in clear contravention of "almost all by-laws, including health, town planning, fire and illegal electricity connection," it was the owner who applied for an order to evict tenants.
The building, owned by private company Pssimeca International, more than three times had its electricity disconnected last year as tenants refused to pay rent. The tenants, according to inner city regional manager Martin New, then formed an illegal tenants' committee that facilitated the illegal connection of electricity, among other things.
On Friday, not a single member of the committee could be seen and all their rooms had been evacuated. "A sign that they knew we were coming to evict them," said New.
As soon as security and law enforcers arrived, tenants started shipping their belongings outside onto the street with no sign of resistance, making the task of the Red Ants easier.
