State moves to contain Knoflokskraal land occupation via court

By Thapelo Molefe

Government says it will ask the Western Cape High Court to tighten a 2021 containment order at Knoflokskraal, aiming to stop any further expansion of the sprawling land occupation near Grabouw without seeking immediate evictions.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said the priority was not removing residents, but freezing the situation on the ground so that authorities could finally determine who is living there and why.

ALSO READ: Free State appoints Moeketsi Mosola to lead MAP-SEZ in push for economic revival

“We haven’t used the word eviction once… because that’s not on the table,” Macpherson said, responding to allegations that government is preparing to forcibly remove residents.

Instead, he said, the state is preparing an urgent court application to reinforce and expand a 2021 Western Cape High Court containment order, which will tighten control over the Knoflokskraal area.

That would