To download a soundbite of Mr Mncwango’s remarks, click on this link: https://iono.fm/e/1710396
Thank you very much.
Good morning, colleagues. Good morning to the viewers out there and good morning to everybody.
We welcome this opportunity to interact with the South African public on matters of concern to them and to the rest of the country.
I am here representing the Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development, a committee that is mandated by the Constitution to deal with issues related to land reform and rural development in this country.
The Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development has continued its intensive oversight to ensure that South Africa's land reform programme fulfils its constitutional promise of justice, dignity and equitable access to land. Among the matters requiring the committee's urgent attention are two longstanding challenges that lie at the heart of rural poverty and inequality. One is the failures associated with Farm Worker Equity Schemes, and secondly, the persistent backlog in the settlement of labour tenant claims.
These matters are not merely administrative concerns. They affect thousands of South Africans whose hopes for economic empowerment, land rights and a more secure future are tied to government land reform interventions. They also raise important questions about accountability and governance, and about whether public resources allocated to land reform have achieved their intended purpose.
In November 2025, the National Assembly referred to the committee a petition submitted by the Surplus People Project, Corruption Watch, the Legal Resources Centre and the Support Centre for Land Change. The petition alleges that many Farm Worker Equity Schemes failed to deliver meaningful benefits to farm workers despite substantial public investment over several years.
Recognising the seriousness of these allegations, the committee undertook a comprehensive process to establish the facts. This included engagements with petitioners, government departments, provincial authorities, beneficiaries, researchers and industry stakeholders. The committee also conducted oversight visits to projects in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape to hear directly from those affected.
Throughout this process, one thing emerged consistently: many farm workers entered these schemes expecting to benefit, even to become genuine partners in commercial agricultural enterprises and to share in the wealth those enterprises generate. For many beneficiaries, those expectations have not been realised. The evidence presented to the committee is deeply concerning.
The government invested more than R700 million to establish 88 Farm Worker Equity Schemes, covering approximately 24 000 hectares of agricultural land. Yet many beneficiaries report receiving very little or no financial benefit from these investments. In many cases, beneficiaries lacked access to financial information, had limited influence over decision-making and could not exercise meaningful ownership rights.
Perhaps most concerning is the department's own acknowledgement that the programme largely failed to achieve its objectives. Instead of advancing empowerment and transformation, many schemes reproduced patterns of exclusion, dependency and inequality that land reform was intended to address.
The committee further noted that these problems are not new. Reviews conducted over many years identified weaknesses in governance, oversight, transparency, beneficiary participation and accountability. Reports repeatedly warned of risks and recommended corrective action. Yet many of these recommendations were either delayed or never implemented.
Accountability cannot be delayed.
The committee is particularly concerned by indications that the state effectively withdrew from ongoing oversight once farm workers had been incorporated into these commercial arrangements. Evidence presented to the committee suggests that monitoring systems were inadequate, project performance was poorly tracked, and intervention mechanisms were weak or absent.
When schemes encountered difficulties, there was no one to fall back on. As a result, many communities were left to carry the consequences of failed projects, while government lacked accurate information about their condition or sustainability.
The committee believes that South Africans deserve a full account of what happened to the significant public resources invested in these initiatives, and whether beneficiaries received the benefits promised to them. For this reason, the committee is of the view that there is a strong case for a comprehensive forensic intervention, or even investigation, into the implementation of these schemes, including the utilisation of public funds, governance arrangements, beneficiary benefits and any evidence of maladministration or financial misconduct.
The committee has further requested a time-bound recovery and intervention plan from the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development. Such a plan must clearly set out actions to assist affected beneficiaries, strengthen accountability and prevent similar failures from recurring in future land reform programmes.
At the same time, we must avoid repeating past mistakes. South Africa requires innovative and sustainable models for agricultural transformation. But these models must place beneficiaries at the centre, ensure transparency and provide effective state oversight throughout the life of the project. The committee's objective is not merely to look backwards. It is to ensure justice for affected beneficiaries, restore public confidence and strengthen future land reform interventions.
Labour Tenants
The committee has also intensified oversight over the settlement of labour tenant claims, one of the most significant unfinished chapters of South Africa's land reform programme. For many labour tenants, this process is not merely about acquiring land. It is about securing dignity, certainty and recognition for families who have lived and worked on farms for generations.
Twenty-five years after the closing date for labour tenant applications, thousands of families remain without final resolution of their claims. The committee was informed that approximately 8 000 cases remain outstanding, and that, even with substantial investment, it could take eight to ten years to settle them.
Many of these matters are complex and will require legal processes before finalisation. However, complexity cannot be a permanent justification for delay. The ongoing backlog has significant implications for tenure security, rural livelihoods and public confidence in the state's ability to fulfil its constitutional obligations.
The committee welcomes the work of the Special Master of Labour Tenants, appointed through the Land Court process, and regards this intervention as an important means of accelerating progress and improving accountability. However, significant concerns remain about departmental capacity, resource constraints, case management systems and the quality and consistency of information provided to Parliament.
Why this matters
Resolving labour tenant claims is a constitutional imperative. It is about giving practical meaning to land rights and tenure security. It is about ensuring that people who have waited decades for justice are not asked to wait another generation. It is also about rebuilding public confidence in land reform. A right delayed for decades risks becoming a right denied.
Beyond this, the successful settlement of labour tenant claims can contribute to rural development, increase agricultural productivity, reduce conflict over land rights and create greater stability in farming communities. The committee has called on the department, the Special Master of Labour Tenants, Legal Aid South Africa and National Treasury to collaborate to ensure that sufficient funding, human resources, technical support and case management systems are in place to accelerate the settlement of claims. The committee will continue to monitor progress closely and will not accept indefinite delays.
In conclusion, the committee's work on both the Farm Worker Equity Schemes petition and labour tenant claims reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that land reform delivers tangible benefits to the people it was intended to serve. The issues before us are complex and often rooted in decades of policy, administrative and institutional challenges. However, complexity cannot excuse inaction.
Our responsibility is clear: ensure accountability, protect public resources and advance meaningful redress for affected communities. The committee remains committed to ensuring that beneficiaries, farm workers, labour tenants and rural communities receive the justice, dignity and meaningful participation that South Africa's constitutional vision demands.
I thank you.
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