The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has issued Western Cape High Court judge Daniel Thulare with a notice to vacate a state-owned property in Cape Town by 15 April.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson confirmed on Sunday that the notice followed communication from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development stating the judge no longer qualifies for the benefit.
The notice instructs the occupant to vacate the property within the stipulated period and restore it to its original condition, allowing the department to reallocate it according to policies governing state residences for members of the judiciary.
Macpherson said the department has a duty to safeguard public property and ensure it is used in line with applicable legal and policy frameworks.
“Once the department received confirmation from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development that the occupant no longer qualifies for the benefit, it became necessary to issue the notice to vacate,” he said.
The latest notice follows a broader push by Public Works to address unlawful occupation of state property. In early March, Macpherson authorised legal proceedings against three former members of the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party who failed to vacate residences in the Parliamentary Village in Cape Town after being removed from Parliament in August 2024.
At the time, Macpherson described the occupation by the former MPs as a breach of the law and welcomed cooperation with law enforcement to effect their removal.
The MK Party later publicly backed the minister’s plan to pursue eviction proceedings, framing it as a matter of legality rather than politics.
The minister warned that the department will continue to take necessary action, including legal action, where public property is unlawfully occupied or used outside applicable rules.
“Public assets exist to serve the people of South Africa and cannot be treated as private benefits,” Macpherson said.
He added that as the department works to restore proper management across the state’s property portfolio, it will continue to act where necessary to prevent misuse or unlawful occupation of state property.
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