By BAKANG MOKOTO
15 May 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development yesterday was briefed by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on various investigations and their outcomes relating to land reform and rural development, and also considered and adopted its budget vote report. The committee welcomed the SIU briefing and the progress achieved.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Albert Mncwango said the SIU reported that the rand value of matters referred to it or the defence/opposition of civil proceedings is R650m, while the potential cash and/or assets to be recovered amounts to approximately R563m. Mncwango said the committee noted that the SIU has recovered actual cash and/or assets to the value of R306m.
“While the investigations are still ongoing, the committee asked for regular briefings from the SIU, as 68 cases against officials and/or executives have been referred for disciplinary action and 611 cases have been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
“Thereafter, the committee deliberated on its budget vote report and noted the budget shift away from core land reform,” he said.
Mncwango further said the committee noted that the 2026/27 budget has decreased slightly overall, but the main concern is a real cut in the budget to land reform and restitution, while the rural development and administration budget has increased. He added that the committee warned that this weakens the department’s core mandate.
“The committee also aired its frustrations that land reform targets remain too low and too slow. The department’s planned land redistribution and restitution targets are far below national goals, with weak post-settlement support and serious concerns about whether current funding and delivery capacity can meaningfully change land ownership patterns.
“The committee noted that major implementation and capacity problems persist. High vacancy rates, acting posts, weak coordination, delayed digital systems and institutional instability are repeatedly flagged as risks across the department and its entities,” said Mncwango.
He said labour tenant backlogs are a critical pressure point for the department. Mncwango said about 8000 labour tenant cases remain outstanding, with most of them likely to go through lengthy court processes, with inadequate systems, staffing and planning alignment slowing progress.
“The committee noted that the plans broadly align with government priorities. However, the committee noted that stronger funding, clearer implementation plans, tighter oversight and faster appointments are urgently needed if outcomes are to improve.
“The committee adopted its budget vote report. It also noted the absence of the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development at its meetings and will write to the Minister for an explanation of his absences,” said Mncwango.
The Guardian 