State land used for holiday homes, says Macpherson
CAPE TOWN — Government is preparing court action over allegations that occupied state land near Grabouw is being used for holiday homes, short-term rentals and restaurants, while plots are sold without authorisation. Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson says the application will seek to stop further expansion at Knoflokskraal, where residents have asserted ancestral rights to the land.
The disputed site comprises six state-owned properties covering approximately 2,000 hectares along the N2 between Grabouw and Botrivier. Macpherson said the land had been earmarked for forestry, but the occupation had prevented those plans from proceeding. Government estimates that more than 4,000 structures have been erected since the occupation began in 2020.
Speaking on Monday, the minister alleged that some properties were second homes rather than their owners’ primary residences, and that some were being used as Airbnbs or restaurants. The reporting reviewed does not identify the rental listings, operators or businesses involved. His claims concern the alleged use of particular properties and do not establish that all residents are operating commercial ventures.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure intends to submit its application to the Western Cape High Court on 19 October. Macpherson said the papers would seek to prevent new occupation, further construction, the movement of building materials onto the site for new structures, and unlawful sales or allocations. He described the proposed containment measures as an effort to freeze further expansion, rather than an eviction application.
The department also wants to establish who lives at Knoflokskraal and secure police assistance with enforcing any court directives. An initial part of the application will seek permission to notify affected people through alternative service methods, giving them an opportunity to participate. Macpherson said the court papers would be made publicly available once submitted.
The proposed action follows allegations from whistleblowers about a system for subdividing and selling plots for approximately R1,500 each. The minister said investigators received a database containing details of around 820 people who allegedly bought land or received allocations. Allegations about levies, intimidation and other suspected unlawful conduct have been referred to law enforcement. These claims have not been established as criminal findings in the material reviewed.
Residents’ position challenges the government’s description of the occupation. Members of the Khoisan community maintain that the land belonged to their ancestors and describe the settlement as reclamation. That assertion does not resolve the legal status of individual plots, but it forms part of the dispute the government says affected parties must have an opportunity to present.
The prolonged dispute has also carried a public cost. Macpherson said the department spent more than R58 million on private security between April 2021 and June 2026, with another R5.47 million in sheriff’s fees associated with court orders. The spending highlights the financial consequences of a settlement that has continued growing despite earlier enforcement efforts.
The court application has yet to be submitted, and the allegations about commercial activity and land sales remain subject to scrutiny. Its immediate purpose is to contain expansion while establishing who occupies the properties and allowing competing accounts to be considered through the legal process.
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