The Department of Public Works is preparing to return to the Western Cape High Court to strengthen its control over the sprawling Knoflokskraal land occupation in Grabouw.
What began in 2020 as a small self-proclaimed Khoisan settlement during the pandemic has grown into a community of between 15,000 and 20,000 people living in around 4,000 structures spread across 1,800 hectares.
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said the government has spent R41.4 million on the site but repeated attempts to engage with its leaders have failed to bring order. He described the situation as one of lawlessness that cannot continue.
The new court application aims to expand a 2021 containment order that was meant to stop further building. If granted, it would allow formal control over entry points, aerial mapping of the area, profiling of residents and collection of socio-economic data.
Pamphlets will be distributed at access points so residents can give anonymous feedback.Macpherson stressed that this is not an eviction. “It is about stabilising the situation before it becomes further entrenched,” he said.
The department also plans to work with police on long-standing allegations of criminal activity, including drug dealing, illegal weapons, harassment of officials, shootings, abalone poaching and the illegal sale of plots for as little as R1,500.
Theewaterskloof Municipality Mayor Lincoln de Bruyn acknowledged the complexity of the matter and the real humanitarian needs on the ground.
The municipality has provided water and refuse collection where possible, but the unplanned growth has placed heavy pressure on its limited resources.
Omar Sadien, chairperson of the United Knoflokskraal Khoi Council and paramount chief of the Afrikaner tribe, insists the residents are land reclaimers, not invaders. “I am reclaiming on behalf of my people,” he said. He told GroundUp that engagements with the department have been in good faith and are still ongoing, and that claims of widespread criminal activity have been exaggerated.
The settlement has developed its own small economy, with businesses such as a restaurant, flea market and even a bed-and-breakfast listed on popular accommodation sites.
The government’s next step is to file its expanded court papers, after which public engagements with the community are expected to begin next month. For now, thousands of families continue to live in the expanding settlement while both sides prepare for the next round in court.