As eviction threats intensify at Knoflokskraal, residents of the sprawling Khoisan settlement are pushing back, rejecting claims of criminality and insisting they are reclaiming land, dignity and identity in the face of what they describe as state pressure and historical injustice.
Residents issued a firm warning saying: “We did not move here to be bergies. Some of us have houses in Cape Town, Grabouw and other areas.”
Situated just off the N2 between Grabouw and Botrivier, the land is owned by the department of public works and infrastructure (DPWI) and earmarked by the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE) for forestry. First occupied in 2020, the settlement has grown to about 4,000 structures, with eviction warnings dating back to 2022.
Omar Sadien, chairperson of the United Knoflokskraal Khoi Council (UKKC), insists residents are “land reclaimers”, not invaders.
There is a community centre, a BnB, and we are preparing to build a church… We will build Knoflokskraal ourselves. Maybe I won’t see it, but I will start it.
— Omar Sadien, United Knoflokskraal Khoi Council chairperson
“We are reclaiming on behalf of our people. Our engagements with DPWI have been in good faith and are ongoing. Allegations of criminal activity are hugely exaggerated,” he said.
Sadien said the community is building for the future. “There is a community centre, a BnB, and we are preparing to build a church… We will build Knoflokskraal ourselves. Maybe I won’t see it, but I will start it,” he said.
Community leader Elouise Rossouw described harsh living conditions but strong resilience.
“Families live in informal structures with limited water, sanitation, electricity and healthcare. Yet the community continues to show unity and cultural strength,” she said.
She said the occupation reflects both survival and identity.
“For many, this land represents belonging, dignity and restoration,” she said, warning that residents live in fear of “eviction, displacement and cultural erasure”.
Public works minister Dean Macpherson recently alleged that criminal syndicates are involved at Knoflokskraal.
He said the DPWI will return to court, not to evict residents, but to strengthen an existing containment order to prevent further expansion.
Sadien disputed claims of widespread crime.
“In the past five years, we have only had about 10 criminal cases reported to the police. Yes, a few people are dealing with dagga and tik, you can’t completely prevent it, but you can try to stop it. We have kept things under control,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the National Coloured Congress, Western Cape MPL John Michaels said the organisation would not stand by while communities are “criminalised in the land of their birth”.
“The NCC rejects, in the strongest possible terms, what we see as a blatant return to apartheid-era governance. Forced removals, intimidation and surveillance of poor communities will not be tolerated. These actions are not governance, they are oppression,” he said.
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