Parliament, Wednesday, 23 September 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development today reviewed the committee’s strategic priorities, considered its annual performance plan (2026/27) and the time-bound intervention plan concerning the Farm Workers Equity Schemes (FWES), and adopted the report on the Farmworkers Equity Schemes petition.
The committee deferred the adoption of its strategic priorities plan to the next meeting.
The committee has called for urgent, coordinated action to protect beneficiaries, strengthen accountability and secure meaningful redress following its inquiry into FWES. It found that, despite substantial public investment and the programme’s stated objective of advancing farmworker ownership and economic participation, many schemes did not deliver meaningful transformation, sustainable benefits or effective beneficiary control.
During its oversight and engagement with the four non-governmental organisations, namely the Surplus People Project, Corruption Watch, the Legal Resources Centre and the Support Centre for Land Change, the committee found that the FWES model largely failed to achieve its intended objectives of meaningful ownership, participation and economic advancement for many farmworker beneficiaries.
The committee noted that weak state oversight, fragmented accountability and poor enforcement allowed recurring governance failures, limited access to financial information and inadequate beneficiary participation.
Government records reflected approved grants of approximately R683 million across 89 schemes, yet the inquiry found limited evidence of sustainable and proportionate benefits reaching beneficiaries. The committee also noted that its previous reviews and recommendations, including the 2013 Zalo Capital review, were not adequately implemented, allowing known weaknesses to persist.
FWES beneficiaries remained vulnerable to insecure tenure, loss or dilution of shares, unclear inheritance rights, unequal bargaining power and insufficient access to independent legal and financial advice.
The committee recommends that an independent assessment be undertaken within three months of adoption of the report. The Minister should commission an independent assessment of all government-funded FWES projects. The assessment should verify legal and operational status, beneficiary ownership, governance, financial performance, harm suffered and scheme-specific remedies.
The Minister should also submit a comprehensive report detailing government investment, ownership structures, beneficiary outcomes, governance risks and time-bound corrective actions within 12 months.
A beneficiary-centred National Corrective and Remedial Action Plan should be developed within three months, supported by measurable targets, assigned responsibilities and regular progress reporting to Parliament.
The Minister should also seek a presidential proclamation enabling the Special Investigating Unit to investigate the use of public funds, financial performance, governance failures, alleged misconduct, asset disposals, share dilution and possible erosion of beneficiary rights. An interim report should be submitted within six months of the proclamation and a final report within 18 months.
Within 12 months, the legislative, policy and regulatory framework should be reviewed to strengthen ownership and inheritance rights, financial transparency, governance, oversight, beneficiary participation and regulation of strategic partnerships.
The committee recommends that targeted support should include tenure protection, legal assistance, governance and financial literacy, skills development, economic empowerment, housing access and social support to the beneficiaries.
Regarding monitoring and evaluation, the committee recommends that a formal implementation framework should track progress, define measurable outcomes and require regular reporting to Parliament.
The committee emphasised that the state cannot disclaim responsibility for the outcomes of a publicly funded land reform programme. Corrective action must restore or compensate affected rights where warranted, hold responsible parties accountable and ensure that future empowerment models deliver genuine ownership, democratic participation, secure tenure and sustainable economic benefit.
The committee will continue to exercise parliamentary oversight over the implementation of the recommendations and the department’s response to concerns raised by beneficiaries, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE ACTING CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, MS RACHEL ADAMS.
For media inquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Liaison Officer:
Name: Sureshinee Govender (Ms)
Cell: 081 704 1109
E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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