Thousands of forestry jobs lost as government fails to act against illegal land invasion in Grabouw

13 September 2022

The portfolio committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has today heard that Minister Barbara Creecy is no longer able to continue with plans to create much needed jobs in the Grabouw plantation due to ongoing land invasions.

The sites of the land invasions, dubbed by the occupiers as “Knoflokskraal” were intended to be used as a key strategic economic driver for the area but due to the large number of settlements and deforestation that has taken place already, this is no longer possible. The sites will now likely be handed back to DPW in their entirety.

Whilst the DA recognizes the ongoing attempts by Minister Creecy and her department to address the matter, the same unfortunately cannot be said for the Department of Public Works or the political administration of the Theewaterskloof Municipality.

It was revealed in today’s meeting that Minister Creecy’s attempted engagements with the municipality’s current administration fizzled out quickly, after a request was made for the municipality to assist with providing alternative accommodation in the event of eviction proceedings. The DPW has also thus far failed to initiate any concrete action to address the invaded sites.

The South African Police Service also made a presentation to the committee today to provide an update into their investigations.

Media reports available online have openly named many of those responsible for instigating the invasions, including their voicenotes and other evidence.

The DA questioned SAPS as to why no investigation has yet taken place to identify those responsible for coordinating the land invasions so that they can be arrested in terms of section 18(2)(a) of the Riotous Assemblies Act, 1956 (Act No. 17 of 1956).

SAPS responded that these investigations may still happen in future as a result of investigations into charges laid for trespassing. It is essential that those responsible for coordinating the invasions be identified and brought to book and any persons with information of evidence in this regard should provide this to the SAPS.

Unfortunately, this may come too late for local people who could have benefitted from the thousands of potential jobs which have now been destroyed.

Issued by Dave Bryant, DA Shadow Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, 13 September 2022