Yes. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) provided clarity on the eviction notices relating to case numbers 13432/2015 and 69085/2013.
DALRRD was required in terms of a court order to provide land for purposes of accommodating individuals evicted from the farms. DALRRD appointed Advocate Lucky Makomati Zwane of the Mpumalanga Bar to represent the interests of DALRRD in the matter, and Mr K Baloyi of Lingenfilger Baloyi Inc was appointed to provide legal representation to the occupiers.
Regarding the order against the Department to provide land to accommodate the evicted persons, DALRRD advised that as per application from the Emakhazeni local municipality, DALRRD had already acquired various farms and transferred them directly to the local municipality for the same purposes in the past and the land is still available and unoccupied.
Regarding the matter of the Motha Family, DALRRD conducted a land rights enquiry and discovered that the Motha family was evicted by court order in the year 1998. They are currently staying at Waterval Boven in the EMakhazeni Local Municipality. However, the Motha family is a former occupier who still has the right to security of tenure in terms of section 6(2)(a) read with section 4 of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act No. 62 of 1997.
DALRRD has no evidence of a land claim lodged by the Motha Family on the three farms.