PRAKTISEER, Limpopo — A severe Limpopo land invasion has paralyzed agricultural production for dozens of emerging farmers at the Tswelepelo Irrigation Scheme, highlighting a critical breakdown in the enforcement of rural property rights. Located in Praktiseer, just outside Burgersfort, state-owned farms are currently overrun by illegal dwellers, leaving over 40 leaseholders entirely locked out of the soil they are legally contracted to farm.
The crisis has exposed a deep jurisdictional fracture between provincial and local government, leaving commercial farmers stranded while unauthorized settlements expand daily across their allocated hectares.
A 30-Year Dream Deferred
The dispute centers on agricultural land that these farmers have actively cultivated since 2001. For decades, they operated on rolling five-year lease agreements. In a major boost to their long-term commercial viability, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development upgraded their tenure in June 2023, officially extending the leases to 30 years. Under the new agreement, each individual farmer was allocated between 10 and 12 hectares of land.
However, the leaseholders allege that almost immediately after securing their three-decade tenure, a mass influx of squatters descended on the property.
Citing a legitimate fear of violent victimization, several farmers spoke on the condition of anonymity. They expressed profound distress, noting that they continue to pay the rural development department for leases they cannot utilize. “Farming is our sole means of survival,” one leaseholder shared, pointing out the daily construction of new shacks across their allocated plots. The group claims they are actively threatened when trying to confront the occupants and feel abandoned by the state.
“We voted for this government because we thought it would help us. Now they don’t care,” another farmer stated. The group has issued a stark ultimatum to the state: enforce the evictions or provide them with alternative agricultural land to farm.
Conflicting Realities on the Ground
On the other side of the fence, the occupants present a contrasting narrative to the land dispute. Claiming residency dating back to 2016 and 2017, they insist they settled the land voluntarily after finding it overgrown with bushes and seemingly abandoned. They deny being “illegal,” arguing that their presence has actually deterred local criminal activity in the area.
Crucially, the dwellers point to municipal infrastructure as proof of their right to reside on the land. They allege that the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Municipality has actively installed electricity and water services for their settlement.
“If it was a farm or if we were not supposed to stay here, why would the municipality give us services? That doesn’t make sense,” one occupant asked, arguing that the provision of basic utilities legitimizes their settlement.
The Legal and Political Gridlock
At the core of the crisis is a 2018 High Court order explicitly mandating the removal of the illegal occupants. Yet, years later, the mandate remains unexecuted due to an inter-governmental dispute over who holds the authority to act.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development acknowledges the severity of the crisis but asserts that the legal onus of executing court orders rests strictly with the local municipality. The department maintains it is engaging the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality through formal channels to facilitate the eviction and remains committed to resolving the issue through appropriate legal processes.
However, the local authority disputes this characterization of their role. Addressing the unfolding crisis, Fetakgomo-Tubatse Municipality spokesperson Dr. Seia categorically denied the municipality’s involvement in the matter. This outright denial leaves the emerging farmers trapped in a bureaucratic void, watching their 30-year agricultural investments slowly erode under the weight of unauthorized occupation.
