The Western Cape High Court has granted the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure an order on Knoflokskraal. It allows the department to use substituted service to notify people about its main court application, according to SAnews.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson welcomed the order. Knoflokskraal is a 2 000-hectare piece of State-owned land in the Elgin Valley near Grabouw in the Western Cape.
“The restoration of the rule of law at Knoflokskraal begins with ensuring that the law is respected and that the proper legal processes are followed. We welcome this order because it allows us to take the next step in our application and ensures that affected parties are properly notified,” Macpherson said.
The department said the order is the first step in its process to gather evidence and information on who is living on the site. It said the aim is to deal with unlawful occupation and apply the law fairly.
In a statement on Tuesday, the department said it will now carry out the service and notice steps the court approved. It said the main application is expected to be heard by February next year.
The Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure explained how people will be told about the case. “It authorises the department to notify all affected parties of its application through a comprehensive process that includes service of notices in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa at prominent locations across the affected properties, loudhailer announcements, direct service on community structures, newspaper publications, and access to the court papers through the department’s official digital platforms,” the ministry said.
The ministry said the approach is meant to make sure all affected people get proper notice. This includes people whose names are not known. It said they must have a fair chance to take part in the legal process.
Macpherson said the order is an important first step. He said the department wants to deal with the situation through lawful, open processes that the court oversees.
“We will not allow unlawful occupation and the breakdown of the rule of law to go unaddressed. At the same time, we are committed to ensuring that our actions are lawful, procedurally fair and subject to judicial oversight,” he said.
The department had said the week before that government was getting ready to go to the Western Cape High Court. It wanted to stop the occupation from growing further. At the time, it said the application would be filed on Monday, 19 October.
According to the department, the application followed six months of preparation, investigations and talks. These were meant to find out how the occupation started and what steps were needed.
Knoflokskraal was reportedly occupied unlawfully in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to SAnews, it has since grown to more than 4 000 structures. An estimated 15 000 to 20 000 people are said to live there.
The land is made up of six State-owned farms under the care of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. The department said the land was first meant for forestry to support jobs and economic growth in the area.
The department said it will work with the relevant authorities on the problems at Knoflokskraal. It said the main application is expected to be heard by February next year.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.