The land reform initiative that was meant to transform the face of agriculture in Mpumalanga, has now been dragged to the courts with the department of agriculture, rural development and land reform seeking an eviction order against farmer Paul Grey of Grey en Grey Landgoed outside Ermelo.
Last week, Food For Mzansi published a story where Grey cited that he was removed from his property by force after a fallout with the department following a ten-year-old disputed lease agreement with the government.
Status changes from ‘urgent’ to ‘less urgent’
In court papers Food For Mzansi has seen, the department revoked that eviction order from urgent court roll to normal court roll basis. The matter was set to be heard on 19 September, however, a new date is yet to be given. The matter will go before the High Court in Middelburg.
Department spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo confirmed to Food For Mzansi that the government had taken Grey to court for an eviction order and minister Thoko Didiza is the first applicant in the court papers.
“We did not revoke the case, but changed its status from urgent to less urgent, and at this stage, I cannot respond on further details because they are being argued in court. Until we finish court proceedings, we will then be able to comment,” said Ngcobo.
He said since the matter is still before the courts, there is little that the department can say on the case. However, once the matter has been settled, the department will give an update on what transpired on the land reform initiative that led to the government taking the matter to court.
Grey and his father, Jan Grey, as well as eight other entities and persons, are respondents in the case. He said he feared for his life, following being forced off “his land” last month.
A can of worms
Grey confirmed that he had received notification from the court at 16:00 on Friday 15 September regarding the change of the court roll from urgent to normal. He said the application for his eviction by the department of agriculture is not contractual but political.
“They think taking this political angle is what’s going to help, but you cannot politicise a contract and use race as your card,” he said.
According to Grey, he had not received further communication from the department but he expects to receive a summons for a formal negotiation.
Grey told Food For Mzansi that his main intention was to have black farmers benefit from the land reform deal, however, he alleges that there were some officials within the Mpumalanga department of agriculture who were unwilling to provide a valid lease agreement for the past ten years.
He believes that the delay in having a workable lease agreement has kept the land reform agreement on hold.
“On the 23rd of June 2016, an official from the department with deputy minister Candice Mashego Dlamini was seated in my office to officiate the agreement that should have started in 2013. They confirmed that the lease agreement would be made available, but still nothing,” he said.
The tip of the iceberg
Grey accused the Mpumalanga’s department of land reform of corruption and unfair treatment.
Sharing the same sentiment is Emerging Farmers of Gert Sibande (EFGS) secretary Mzwandile Zulu, who said cases are much worse in the Gert Sibande district.
“There is a syndicate here which is being operated by the provincial chief director and assistant director (names known to Food For Mzansi), who allocate land to their friends and relatives instead of giving it to people who need it in the first place.
“Land reform was made for people who do not have anything, the poor, and they are trying to put in people who should not be there in the first place,” he said.
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