14 September 2023
By: Lloyd Phillips
An urgent application by Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, for the eviction of Paul Grey and his family from the farm where they live and work will be heard next week.
A farmer from Mpumalanga, Paul Grey, and his family, who were allegedly unlawfully evicted in August, now face an urgent eviction application by Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
It is unclear why Didiza and her department want the Greys off the farm, but unconfirmed reports say it may be due to a land reform agreement between the parties souring.
The high court in Mpumalanga found the August eviction to be unlawful and reinstated the Greys’ right to live and work on the farm.
Soon afterwards, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cleared Grey of allegations of animal abuse. These allegations had been widely circulated on social media but their original source has not been identified.
Grey’s attorney, Jakes van Strijp of Noltes Inc in Ermelo, told Landbou.com that Didiza served the farmer and his family with an eviction application on August 29. It will be heard in the high court in Middelburg on September 19. The Greys intend to oppose the application.
“My clients are legally on the properties, and the process initiated by the minister is defective as several facts, which a court cannot adjudicate on in an application, are disputed,” said Van Strijp.
“The minister should have issued a summons so that the disputes can be decided during a full trial. The court can then also decide whether the original sale of the farm to the state has been lawfully cancelled and whether the farms should be returned to our clients.”
Van Strijp and Didiza’s spokesperson, Reggie Ngcobo, say they cannot provide further comment until the matter is heard in court.
Van Strijp adds that the Greys have not received feedback from the police about the investigation into damage to the family’s homes and other property while heavily armed evictors kept the family away from the farms.
