The Latest at Goethe

The eviction troops in red overalls swarm like insects into occupied buildings and ruthlessly expel all the residents. The “Red Ants” in South Africa are notorious. An exhibition by the Goethe-Institut shows photographs of the forced evictions – and gives a voice to those who can otherwise not be heard. By Sandra Voglreiter

Mattresses, armchairs, clothing and a flowerpot are piled on the filthy street at the corner of Bree and Harrison in the centre of Johannesburg. In the midst of this chaos a woman sits in the light of the rising sun, lost in thought, on a couch – her own couch. Until only a few minutes ago, this couch had a place in the flat in which the woman from Zimbabwe lived with her family for twelve years – without permission, without paying rent. The Red Ants arrived at the crack of dawn.

The worst thing, says Moshe Sekete, the worst thing is not just the evictions – it’s the brutality and ruthlessness of the Red Ants’ methods. Together with his colleague Kabelo Mofokeng, the South African photographer captured them in pictures. The photos are meant to shake up the partially indifferent community. “They throw the people’s belongings onto the street from the balcony,” he says. “Some of them steal – and they don’t treat the people any better either.” The subject matter of the series of photographs is the forced evacuation of the Monis Mansions in 2007.

The name “Mansion” is a mockery considering the shabby building complex – nothing is less like a stately manor. Yet, for the people who live here, it is the only home they have.

Life in a lawless space

It was in the mid-1990s, after the end of apartheid, when hundreds of thousands migrated from the townships to the centre of Johannesburg. Whoever could afford it left the inner city and only the poor remained. Over the years, people came from all over Africa, many are homeless; there is not enough housing space. Criminal gangs occupied houses, collecting the rents in place of the actual owners and defend their stolen rights at gunpoint.

Photo gallery: Chronology of an Eviction

Johannesburg is one of the world’s most dangerous cities. The government wants to reclaim the city – using the wrong methods, according to Moshe Sekete: “These evictions are inhumane – regardless of whether the people live there legally or illegally.” He considers himself the advocate of those with no voice and the exhibition also aims to make them heard. “Maybe we’ll even reach the government with our concerns,” hopes Moshe Sekete - at least to put a stop to the forced evictions.

It is no coincidence that the exhibition is being shown at GoetheonMain, the new project space of the Goethe Institut Johannesburg. This location in the city centre is meant to help overcome the distance between the affluent suburbanites and the people downtown.

Red Ants: Both Perpetrators and Victims

A series of events surrounding the exhibition at GoetheonMain, such as symposia, poetry sessions and workshops for young artists, are intended to kick off a dialogue. In addition, a former inner city resident, a previous “Red Ant” security guard, a representative of the local authorities and a house owner will meet to discuss the devaluation and renewal of the centre of Johannesburg.

The city is in a process of change, says Mofokeng. His job is to make the residents aware that they are part of this change and to give them back control over the changes. Control seems to be a luxury that the people in downtown Johannesburg have long not been able to afford.

“Having to stand by and watch the eviction was terrible for me,” remembers Moshe Sekete. He nonetheless attempted to capture the emotions of the evictees in his pictures without losing sight of those of the Red Ants. “They’re not only perpetrators; they are also victims.” Most of the Red Ants come from poor circumstances, some even return from their work to living as squatters themselves.

“They spit in your face”

Kabelo Mofokeng describes the members of the eviction troops as people who follow orders, as “slaves” who make their living at the cost of their own people. “They spit in your face to be the first in line for recognition,” writes Kabelo Mofokeng in a text that can be read in the exhibition at GoetheonMain. Fifteen writers have dealt with the cruelty of the evictions in poetry and prose.

Most of those involved in the exhibitions, including the two photographers Kabelo Mofokeng and Moshe Sekete, belong to the South African artists’ group Botsotso. The organization is committed to documenting the transition from the authoritarian society under apartheid to a pluralistic, democratic country – to hold up a mirror to the “new society.”

The “Red Ants” exhibition is being shown at GoetheonMain until 2 October.