Cape Town – Three former uMkhonto weSizwe party (MKP) MPs who are still occupying Parliamentary Village properties in Cape Town now face eviction.
The MPs were removed from Parliament in August 2024.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson, on Monday, 2 March 2026, revealed that the former MPs were unlawfully occupying Parliamentary Village properties.
The minister stated that he has authorised formal eviction proceedings, including a cost order, against three former MPs.
Minister Macpherson, who faces controversy over a taxpayer-funded working trip to Brazil for a BRICS forum, where his partner, Louis Theunis Janse van Vuren, accompanied him, said the former MPs had already been served with notices by the State Attorney to vacate the houses by last Friday, 27 February 2026.
He said the former MPs, whom he did not name, failed to do so.
Minister Macpherson said after months of delays by the former MPs and unsuccessful efforts to resolve their vacating the properties, the Department must now proceed with formal eviction proceedings.
“As a country which respects the rule of law, we can never allow certain individuals to be above it and unlawfully occupy state property that has an intended public benefit,” Minister Macpherson said.
“Since we entered office 21 months ago, we have acted decisively to protect public property against illegal occupation and have launched a number of eviction cases, such as at Wingfield in Cape Town and on prime agricultural land near East London.
“We will apply this principle equally to former members of parliament occupying buildings intended for use by current MPs and sessional officials,” Minister Macpherson said.
“It remains extremely concerning that the Department has been placed in the middle of a dispute between political parties and those whose membership they have chosen to terminate.
“The Department cannot and should not be drawn into a legal fight in this regard – our responsibility is to the South African public and to protecting state property for their benefit.”
The Minister said the department will continue to work with all law enforcement agencies to maintain the rule of law, and remains open to mediation with the former members of parliament to ensure a peaceful relocation.
“After years of indecisive management, where public property has been allowed to be unlawfully occupied and vandalised, we are working tirelessly to restore accountability across every property vested in the Department,” said Minister Macpherson.
“Restoring rightful use of state assets, preventing vandalism and ensuring public property serves the public good – not private interests – remains central to our mission as we work to build a better South Africa.”
Regarding the travel controversy that made headlines over the weekend, opposition party ActionSA demanded that Minister Macpherson reimburse the alleged “wasteful expenditure on the partner’s travel”.
Although reports stated that the trip cost taxpayers R839 000, the minister denied any wrongdoing and insisted the total cost was R350 000.
Minister Macpherson denied ignoring legal advice or making duplicate bookings and stated compliance with policies amid wider criticism of ministerial travel spending.
However, ActionSA has announced that it has requested the Public Protector to investigate what it said was Minister Macpherson’s “questionable taxpayer-funded trip to Brazil with his partner over nine days, which raises several concerns and requires scrutiny to ensure that public funds were not misused”.
