Minister Macpherson Moves to Contain Knoflokskraal as Khoisan Occupation Swells to 20,000 Residents

Minister Dean Macpherson announces a new High Court bid to stabilize the Knoflokskraal Khoisan settlement amidst reports of illegal land sales and 20,000 residents.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 15, 2026, 4:58 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EWN

Escalation of a 1,800-Hectare Land Reclaim

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has announced a new legal strategy to contain the rapid growth of Knoflokskraal in the Elgin Valley. Originally established in 2020 as a "land reclamation" project for indigenous Khoisan heritage, the settlement has expanded far beyond its initial scope. Current estimates place the population between 15,000 and 20,000 people living in approximately 4,000 structures across 1,800 hectares of state-owned land. Minister Dean Macpherson stated on Tuesday that the government is finalizing a submission to the Western Cape High Court to expand a 2021 containment order that has largely been ignored by residents and developers.

Financial and Humanitarian Pressures on Local Government

The occupation has created a significant fiscal burden, with the DPWI reporting R41.4 million in expenditure related to the site thus far. Beyond the state's costs, the Theewaterskloof Municipality is struggling to manage the unplanned growth. Mayor Lincoln de Bruyn acknowledged the "deeply important" humanitarian needs of the residents but noted that providing water and refuse collection has stretched the municipality’s already constrained resources to a breaking point. Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers clarified that the current court bid is not a move for mass eviction, but a mechanical necessity to stabilize the area before it becomes further entrenched as a permanent, unserviced informal settlement.

Allegations of Exploitation and Criminality

A primary driver of the new court bid is the reported commercialization of the occupied land. Minister Macpherson highlighted "disturbing allegations" of individuals subdividing and selling state land for as little as R1,500. He warned that vulnerable people are being exploited into believing they have secured legal ownership when they are actually victims of illegal land scams. Additionally, the department cited reports of drug trafficking, illegal construction, and abalone-related criminal activity. To counter this, the government plans to implement "structured control," which involves profiling residents and monitoring movement through aerial mapping to distinguish between vulnerable families and criminal opportunists.