The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has painted a worrying picture of the governance and administrative problems in South Africa’s land reform and restitution programme. The issues emerged during the Standing Committee on Appropriations’ engagement with the department on the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
Dr Mmusi Maimane questioned whether separating the department from Agriculture may have contributed to some of the challenges it is now facing.
During the meeting, the department admitted that weak internal controls and poor administrative systems have created widespread inefficiency, irregular expenditure and operational failures. The department reported R137 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure, much of it linked to failures in supply chain management, late payments to suppliers and weak financial oversight.
The committee also noted with concern that the department’s presentation exposed serious weaknesses in systems used to verify agricultural support programmes. It also noted that the problems went beyond financial administration and extended into the wider land reform and restitution programme.
The department admitted that delays in settling land claims were caused by changes to payment systems, slow processing and operational weaknesses. As a result, many restitution claims dating back to before 1998 remain unresolved. Despite billions being allocated to land restitution, the department continues to face serious backlogs, staff shortages and weak institutional capacity.
The committee also noted that the department’s challenges were also visible in the management of state-owned agricultural land. Officials reported poor revenue collection from leased farms over several years, partly because some beneficiaries lacked the resources and support needed to make farms productive.
At the same time, the department admitted it did not have enough capacity to properly enforce lease agreements and monitor compliance. Weak oversight has allowed debt to grow, while billing and collection systems have remained ineffective. Planned interventions such as legal recovery processes, debtor verification and the use of collection agencies are not having the desired effect. Meanwhile, thousands of farms remain un- or under-supported, and many beneficiaries struggle without proper technical and financial assistance.
Acting Director-General Mr Clinton Heimann told the committee that infighting within communal property associations (CPAs) had become common. Rival groups often dispute each other’s legitimacy and accused one another of misusing funds. In some cases, he said, these disputes have escalated into court battles.
Committee member Ms Constance Mkhonto said only a small number of CPAs are functioning effectively. She argued that once land transfers are finalised, many beneficiaries are left without the operational knowledge needed to run successful commercial farms.
She said previous owners often transfer the land without properly handing over the business operations, export relationships or production systems, leaving beneficiaries unprepared to maintain productivity. She urged the department to explain the support it is providing to ensure CPA-held land remains productive, warning that continued failures could worsen food security and leave settled farms unproductive.
Overall, the department’s briefing reflected a pattern of systemic maladministration marked by weak governance, poor financial controls, weak verification systems, operational inefficiencies and limited accountability.
In addition, the committee warned that repeated forensic investigations, non-compliance, delayed settlements and weak monitoring suggest that the land reform and restitution system remain vulnerable to fraud, abuse and institutional failure.
Jabulani Majozi
27 May 2026
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