Pretoria – The City of Tshwane has escalated its dispute with the Kleinfontein settlement, issuing a court notice requiring the whites-only, Afrikaans-speaking community east of Pretoria to submit a new spatial planning and land-use management application, replacing its outdated 2013 filing.
According to Eyewitness News, the municipality argues that Kleinfontein is one of 17 settlements in Tshwane classified as illegal and improperly zoned for township development.
Kleinfontein spokesperson Dannie de Beer told the outlet that residents were “disappointed” by the municipality’s approach. “Instead of engaging with the community in talks and sitting around the table, Tshwane has decided not only to take the community to court, but also threaten them with demolition,” he said.
As reported by The Citizen, Kleinfontein leaders say they have sought to resolve the matter for years, even submitting a township application under the Integrated Development Plan (IDP). Community CEO Stefan Wiese added that Tshwane’s sudden insistence on a new application is both unfair and costly.
BECAUSE WHAT A COMMIE DOES NOT TAKE FROM OTHERS, THEY MUST DESTROY.
The City of Tshwane has threatened to demolish Kleinfontein, a whites-only Afrikaner settlement east of Pretoria, after serving it with a court notice to file a new spatial planning and land use management… pic.twitter.com/bd1oOVyomO
— Pookie’s Polls & Opinions (@pookiepolls) August 21, 2025
“Despite correspondence from Tshwane as recently as May 2024, Tshwane now seems to argue that Kleinfontein’s completed IDP township application can no longer be processed and has to be replaced by a Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act application,” Wiese explained.
The municipality’s stance has drawn mixed reactions.
Republican Conference councillor Lex Middelberg said the community had “got it twisted,” insisting the issue was about legal compliance, not race.
However, political analyst Piet Croucamp told the publication that Kleinfontein’s racially exclusive values clashed with South Africa’s democratic framework, questioning whether its existence was legally sustainable under the constitution.
While Tshwane has denied that it plans to demolish Kleinfontein outright, as reported by Central News, it has confirmed that the enclave will face heavy financial penalties, including increased municipal rates, until it complies with zoning laws.
[WATCH] The Economic Freedom Fighters want the Afrikaner-only community of Kleinfontein, outside Pretoria, to be abolished immediately. pic.twitter.com/tq0XnIJ247
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 2, 2025
Kleinfontein, established in 1992 as a cultural enclave for Afrikaners, operates as a share-block scheme similar to Orania. The settlement currently houses around 650 residents across more than 860 hectares of land.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
