The Izwi Labantu Forum (ILF) and the Izwi Labantu Land and Agriculture Association (ILLAA) have written to the South African Deputy President, Paul Mashatile. They want him to establish an independent commission of inquiry into allegations of political interference, misappropriation, targeted harassment, and complicity by farmer representative bodies in land reform implementation.
The organisations deal with land justice, agricultural empowerment, rural safety, and the dignity of black emerging farmers and farm workers. They say some farmers have been targeted, with threats of imminent eviction from farms allocated to them by land reform programmes.
In the 4 March letter to Mashatile, the ILF and ILLAA claim that the reasons for evictions are not grounded in any lawful constitutional process, and appear to stem from administrative irregularities, political interference, and targeted victimisation.
‘Farmers’ money is missing’
The letter says that they are concerned about persistent allegations that substantial sums of production finance and support grants intended for black farmers have been approved and disbursed by the Department of Agriculture and Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD). Yet the intended beneficiaries have never received any money.
“These funds are reportedly being diverted or misappropriated at various points in the chain, and it has become disturbingly apparent that some of these funds may have been deliberately or negligently missed or intercepted within the very associations and organisations that are mandated to represent and support these black farmers,” said ILF Chairperson Norma Mbatha.
‘Undermining land restoration’
She added that this is a direct contradiction of the principles for which generations have fought, especially with regards to land restoration, as enshrined in the Freedom Charter.
“It is deeply distressing that these alleged evictions and financial irregularities are reportedly occurring under the watch of a minister (Mzwanele Nyhontso) who publicly aligns with the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), a formation historically rooted in the uncompromising demand for land return to the indigenous African majority. The perception that black farmers who have lived on and worked the land for years, in some cases decades, are now being removed from their homes and livelihoods is not only heart-breaking, it risks fatally undermining public trust in the entire land reform programme.
“We have also noted with serious concern recurring rumours and reports that political influence is being exerted to prioritise title deed handovers to individuals or groups perceived to have the largest numbers of followers or political utility, rather than to those who are genuinely capable of productive use and stewardship of the land. In several documented instances, title deeds have been issued to communities already deeply divided by internal conflict, leading to paralysis, violence, and failure of production. Most alarmingly, credible allegations have reached us that certain politicians and politically connected individuals are allegedly paying debt collectors to harass black farmers with inflated or illegitimate “rental” demands,” she said.
‘Politically favoured individuals, or relatives take over farms’
In the letter to Mashatile, Mbatha states that such actions appear to have been designed to force non-payment, trigger eviction proceedings, and clear the way for politically favoured individuals or their relatives to take over farms.
“We place on record that Izwi Labantu Forum will not utilise taxpayer funds to pursue lengthy and costly court action against government departments or officials or politicians. Instead, we will place all verified evidence, names of politicians, senior officials, debt collectors, business figures, and implicated associations, before the court of public opinion at the appropriate time and on the right platform,” said Mbatha.
‘Systematic destruction of black emerging agriculture’
She believes that the South African public should know who is contributing to the systematic destruction of black emerging agriculture and the deliberate rendering of black farmers as “failures”, while politicians position their own families and networks to take control of the agricultural sector.
Mbatha has requested Mashatile intervene with an immediate moratorium on all evictions of black land reform beneficiaries pending an independent investigation. She is also calling for a forensic audit of all production finance and grant disbursements to black farmers since 2019, with particular focus on the role intermediary associations or organisations played.
“We trust you will treat this matter with the urgency and moral seriousness it demands. We stand ready to meet with you or your designated representatives to present further evidence and proposed remedies,” she added.
