Department wants further unlawful occupation of Knoflokskraal stopped

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is urging the court to halt the ongoing unauthorized occupation of 2,000 hectares at Knoflokskraal, a Marievale urban area. This issue has been a subject of legal battles for six years, with the state striving to curb the expansion and construction of new structures on these state-owned farms.

As of August, over 4,000 structures have been built, suggesting that the individuals occupying the land are using it primarily for holiday homes rather than seeking shelter. The Department is pushing the court to prevent further occupation and construction across the six urban areas that comprise Marievale, including stopping the influx of building materials and the illegal sale and allocation of state-owned land.

Minister Dean Macpherson highlighted that the land was originally designated for forestry, investment, and job opportunities. To enforce the court's directive, the department seeks the deployment of police members to monitor and control the situation. Macpherson suggested that criminal activities might be occurring, citing evidence of fraudulent sales of plots for approximately R1,500 and connections to payments facilitating these transactions.

The government has submitted this evidence to the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Minister emphasized that no one has the authority to sell state land.