Latest news with #MzwaneleNyhontso
IOL News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Minister Nyhontso presents R9. 8 billion budget for land reform and rural development
Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso says the department's 2025/26 budget was a commitment to redress equitable access to land for all and to improve the lives of people, especially those residing in rural areas. Image: File Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso on Tuesday said the implementation of a meaningful land reform program required a coordinated approach to enhance integrated and sustainable interventions. Nyhontso said the department's 2025/26 budget was a commitment to redress equitable access to land for all and to improve the lives of people, especially those residing in rural areas. 'Land is a foundation of identity, dignity, and economic prosperity. Land is a key component of the factors of production. "Therefore, without land, any aspiration of social economic development remains just that- aspirations,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The minister also said land reform was an engine for propelling inclusive growth and for reducing poverty and unemployment. 'It is therefore with this in mind that we welcome the current trend of convergence in the national discourse on the land question among those of us who suffer dispositions and oppression.' Nyhontso sang praises to the Inter-Ministerial Committee of Land Reform led by Deputy President Paul Mashatile in coordinating various efforts to avoid overlapping and duplication of functions related to land reform. 'This will enable us to accelerate efforts to address the land question of historical dispossessed communities and to support the poor." He said among the top priorities he has been driving since he assumed office was the development of equitable access to land. 'We will encourage South Africans to participate in the development of these historic pieces of legislation as they will redefine the legislative framework for access to land and on equitable basis. 'I have no doubt that this will be a subject of discussion during the National Dialogue. We are on record in a number of forums as having emphasised that the delivery of land and the provision of support to the beneficiaries of all land reform programs are two sides of the same coin.' He said a particular focus since taking office was to address the phenomenon of poor performance of land reform projects and inadequate pre-and post-settlement support for beneficiaries. 'Indeed, this is a concern that has also been raised by a range of stakeholders.' Nyhontso said the overall budget of the department was R9.820 billion with land tenure reform and restitution receiving the largest share amounting to R6.168 billion of the total allocation. 'This demonstrates that our budget is grounded on our core mandate.' He also said the land redistribution and tenure reform branch has been allocated R1.073 billion. 'With this budget, a total allocation of R559 million has been set aside to acquire and allocate 44, 000 hectares of land.' Nyhontso said his department continued to process applications for hectares of land to labour tenants. 'It should be acknowledged though that the area of tenure security for labour tenants, including the continuing spread of illegal evictions, remains an unacceptable situation.' He added the department was implementing a comprehensive plan to address historical inefficiencies relating to the management of state land, including calls for accountability from some reluctant officials and ensuring consequence management. 'Our department is also addressing the challenges related to communal property associations (CPAs), particularly their dysfunctionality. To address this challenge, the department is implementing measures that include the establishment of an independent CPA office.'
Daily Maverick
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
‘Smacks of apartheid' — DA, activists slam new rule compelling property buyers to disclose race, gender
Free SA, a civil society organisation, has joined the call for the rural development ministry to reverse the mandatory disclosure of race, gender and other demographic information. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development insists the information will only be used for data collection. There are rising concerns about a regulation under the Deeds Registries Amendment Regulations 2025, which officially came into effect in early April. All property buyers are now required to submit demographic information such as race, gender, citizenship and nationality when lodging deeds for registration. This change is overseen by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and is an update of the long-standing Deeds Registries Act of 1937. Last Friday, the DA called on Minister of Land and Rural Development Mzwanele Nyhontso to abandon the controversial regulation, after the minister's reply to a DA parliamentary question revealed 'that the minister of land and rural development is enforcing racial classification regulations in property transfers without a legal or legislative definition of 'race' to underpin the compulsory classification requirement introduced', the DA said. The DA sees this as utterly flawed, saying a minister cannot admit that his regulations have no legal definition yet also insist that they are implemented and enforced as if they are binding law. The DA reiterated its demand that Nyhontso abandon the regulation that requires buyers of property to declare their race and gender in writing to the government via compulsory Deeds Office forms, because by the minister's own admission 'there is no legal or legislative definition of race' in South Africa any longer. The department's head of communication, Linda Page, told Daily Maverick they had not received any concerns from the deeds offices. The department said the data will help it make better-informed policies. Nyhontso has said: 'This regulation is not going to be used against other races. This regulation is going to be used to understand the land and to understand who owns the land, so we are able to audit the land in this country.' In a parliamentary session, Free SA said the regulation is unconstitutional and the data could be misused. In a letter addressed to the Chief Registrar of Deeds, in response to the latter's circular, the organisation said: 'We are compelled to place on record our serious constitutional concerns with the abovementioned requirement – specifically the demand for racial classification. This element of the circular is, in our view, unconstitutional and fundamentally incompatible with the founding values of the Constitution, particularly non-racialism, as enshrined in section 1(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.' Both the DA and Free SA pointed to the historical context, saying the requirement was an apartheid regime tactic. 'Compulsory racial classification was employed by the apartheid regime, most infamously codified through the Population Registration Act, 1950 (Act No. 30 of 1950). This Act formed a pillar of systemic racial discrimination and was repealed precisely to dismantle the machinery of formal, state-enforced racial categorisation,' the letter reads. Free SA also raises data privacy concerns, saying authorities should be transparent about where and how the data will be used and who will have access to it. Daily Maverick put this question to the land reform department but had not received a response by the time of publication. The concern is not only about the regulation itself, but also how it will be enforced. 'Even if a legitimate governmental objective were to be cited in support of collecting racial data (e.g. for purposes of redress, audits or transformation policy development), the means adopted must still comply with constitutional constraints. Compulsory racial classification by the state, in our considered view, cannot be reconciled with the post-apartheid constitutional order. In its current form, this regulation constitutes an impermissible infringement of constitutional rights and values, including those protected under sections 1, 9, 10 and 14 of the Constitution.' Esi Attorneys explains: 'For buyers, sellers and conveyancing professionals, the implementation of Form LLL is a procedural step, not a substantive legal change. It simply requires that the form be completed and submitted during the normal course of the transfer process. 'There is no impact on transaction timelines, fees or ownership rights, and legal practitioners are experiencing the integration to be smooth and straightforward.' However, MP and the DA's spokesperson on land reform and rural development, Mlindi Nhanha, told Daily Maverick: 'The mandatory requirement to disclose race and gender as a pre-condition to exercising one's rights is a cause for concern. This new Regulation uncomfortably smacks of the apartheid era, during which South Africans were subjected to mandatory racial classification for purposes of discrimination, control and exclusion of the majority of the population. Nearly 31 years into a democratic dispensation, it is disheartening and regrettable to see similar mechanisms being reintroduced, even though under a different pretext and ostensibly different objectives.' Nhanha said that while they acknowledged the importance of accurate and comprehensive land ownership data to inform government policy and ensure the equitable transformation of land ownership patterns in the country, 'the inclusion of race and gender as mandatory disclosure requirements in the property transfer process needs careful consideration as these may violate individual dignity, privacy and constitutional rights'. The DA's land reform team would meet their support staff today (Thursday) to finalise a programme to visit at least one Deeds Office per province. 'My office has been inundated with calls and emails of practitioners in the sector expressing their displeasure about the new regulations. At the moment they find themselves compelled to complete the form much against their will or risk their applications being thrown out. It is for this reason we shall be undertaking surprise oversight visits to see for ourselves,' Nhanha said. Asked whether the DA believed this information would be misused by the Deeds Office, and if so, how, he said: 'The objectives of a land audit, especially in the context of redressing historical injustices, are laudable and necessary. However, the collection and use of demographic data, particularly where disclosure is tied to legal processes such as the registration of property rights, raises important questions about its constitutionality, privacy, data security, data abuse and potentially other unintended consequences.' The party would explore all avenues at its disposal 'to stop the minister in his tracks'. Daily Maverick spoke to a number of property agents who said they had not had many dealings with the form yet and so did not have feedback from clients about whether they were comfortable with sharing their demographic information. DM
Mail & Guardian
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mail & Guardian
Honouring Portuguese heritage
The Portuguese embassy in South Africa celebrates Portugal National Day. The Portuguese embassy in South Africa hosted a celebration for Portugal National Day, also known as Camões Day, at the ambassadorial residence on 10 June 2025. Ambassador Carlos Costa Neves, who emphasised the enduring friendship between the two South Africa and Portugal, welcomed a distinguished gathering, with South Africa's minister of rural development and land reform, Mzwanele Nyhontso, representing the government. There are an estimated 200,000 to 450,000 Portuguese people residing in South Africa, including people of Portuguese descent. Portugal's National Day commemorates the death of Luís de Camões, the country's poet and author of the epic Os Lusí culture and global diaspora is also celebrated. The event highlighted the strong bilateral ties between Portugal and South Africa, rooted in historical connections, shared economic interests and the Portuguese-South African community. Both nations continue to collaborate in trade, tourism and cultural exchange, with Portugal's contributions to South Africa's wine and culinary heritage widely acknowledged. The day was marked by a performance by Portuguese-born South African singer J'Something, who sang the national anthems of both countries. Guests enjoyed an array of Portuguese delicacies, including pastéis de nata and bacalhau, alongside traditional entertainment that showcased Portugal's rich cultural heritage.
IOL News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Bold and decisive steps must be taken to reverse the legacy of the Native Land Act of 1913
Land reform successes have produced jobs and generated income, but more needs to be done. Image: AFP Bold and decisive steps must be taken to reverse the legacy of the Native Land Act of 1913, says Mzwanele Nyhontso, the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development. He said the Native Land Act of 1913 which became law in South Africa on June 19, (Act No. 27 of 1913), left an indelible mark on the history of South Africa. 'This legislation had a profound and devastating impact on the lives of black people. It was a calculated, cruel instrument and strategy of mass dispossession, that successfully entrenched racial segregation and economic inequality,' Nyhontso said. Land dispossession The Native Land Act, restricted black South Africans to only 7% of the land, forcing them into so called 'native reserves' while reserving the rest of land for white minority ownership. The minister added that through the prohibition of black South Africans from owning land outside the designated so called native reserves, the act stripped millions of their ability to sustain themselves, their families and communities through farming which was the main economic activity. 'The immediate aftermath of the passing of the Native Land Act was the violent and merciless eviction of people from their land, their cattle and crops were confiscated and their homes were destroyed. Up until that point in history, the African had led a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. Black people were stripped of their dignity, effectively forcing them into exploitative farm labour contracts. The act laid the foundation for the migrant system that provided a constant supply of cheap labour for the mines and industries,' the minister added. Undoing the damage The Department said it is committed to reversing this legacy, by ensuring appropriate legislation, policies and programmes are implemented. It added it will intensify its efforts to restore land rights to the historically dispossessed and the equitable redistribution of land. In South Africa, where youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, reaching over 45% of people between the ages of 15 and 34 years, the land reform programme is quietly emerging as a source of employment opportunities and playing an important role in economic development, says the Vumelana Advisory Fund. The organisation said the story of land reform is taking a turn, with some pockets of successes unfolding where young people are leveraging restituted land as a strategy for employment creation and economic transformation. Success stories Peter Setou, Chief Executive of Vumelana said: 'Over time, we've seen the CPP model consistently deliver tangible results and meaningful impact for beneficiaries of the land reform programme. These pockets of success highlight the model's potential. The challenge now is to scale these successes to unlock similar outcomes with other beneficiaries of the land reform programme across the country.' Since its inception, Vumelana said it has supported 26 land reform projects leveraging its transaction advisory support programme and capacity building and institutional support programme. The programme provides the beneficiary communities with access to required resources while negating the need to give up ownership of the land or wait for government grants. The transaction advisory support programme facilitates commercially viable, mutually beneficial partnerships between land reform beneficiary communities and private investors that create jobs, generate income and transfer skills. These successful land reform programmes such as the 151 hectare Moletele-Matuma farm in Limpopo, the Barokologadi-ERP Melorane Game Reserve partnership in North West and the Mkambati Nature Reserve Tourism partnership were said to be examples of success stories resulting from their interventions, where they have collectively managed to create over 2,500 jobs that benefitted over 16,000 households, mobilised over R1 billion in investments and developed approximately 76,000 hectares of land.
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Corruption Watch calls for investigation into failed farm worker equity schemes
Corruption Watch wants the Public Protector to launch an investigation into the failure of Farm Worker Equity Schemes (FWES), meant to empower farm workers. Image: Photo: AFP Corruption Watch has urged the Public Protector to investigate the systemic failures of Farm Worker Equity Schemes (FWES), revealing a troubling history of unfulfilled promises and ongoing injustices against farm workers. The organisation said it has received various reports from community-based organisations regarding FWES's failure to achieve its objective of contributing to land reform. The project was introduced 30 years ago following the change to a democratic government and was designed to empower farm workers by giving them shared ownership of commercial farms. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) implemented the project. Since last year, the department has been split into Agriculture with John Steenhuisen as Minister and Land Reform and Rural Development with Mzwanele Nyhontso as Minister. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ However, the anti-corruption body said the initiative has failed, leaving many workers without the benefits they were promised. Melusi Ncala, a senior researcher and project lead at Corruption Watch, said this was intended to be a transformation initiative that was hijacked by government officials and commercial interests who, when presented with the opportunity soon after South Africa transitioned to democracy, chose instead to lie, cheat and steal from the poor. In its letter to the Office of the Public Protector, Corruption Watch said the schemes failed due to abuse of power and an undue delay in resolving the complaints of the beneficiaries, and maladministration of FWES and the disbursement process. The organisation said that dishonesty or improper dealing with respect to public money also added to the failure of the scheme. The implementation also failed due to the lack of information, especially with respect to the financial affairs of FWES, such as shareholding and the dividends due, and paid out, to beneficiaries. The lack of oversight and regulation by the DALRRD also impacted the project. The Public Protector's spokesperson, Khulu Phasiwe, said the office did not have a record of the complaint but they will give feedback when there is an update on the matter. Oteng Makgotlwe, the spokesperson for Corruption Watch, insisted that the complaint has been filed. The Department Land Reform and Rural Development requested 48 hours to respond. Corruption Watch said that correspondence has been exchanged with the DALRRD in an attempt to raise these issues but this has not led to any substantive progress. Corruption Watch said the Public Protector should conduct an investigation into FWES and make an appropriate recommendation for remedial action as the complaint deals with the intersection between various departments as well as vehicles established for redress using public funds and in concert with the private sector. The organisation added that it was aware that a complaint must ordinarily be reported to the Public Protector within two years from the date of the occurrence of the incident. However, the issue of FWES does not have a fixed start and end date, instead, it is a continuing and systemic problem that remains unresolved and ongoing to this day. 'Another reason for only bringing this matter to the attention of your office now is that the affected beneficiaries, along with the organisations assisting them, have been diligently attempting to exhaust all available avenues and remedies before approaching your office. This is clearly demonstrated by the extensive correspondence and attempts at resolution outlined in paragraph five of this letter. This complaint is therefore submitted in good faith and the interest of justice, given the persistent nature of the issues at hand,' read the letter. The government previously commissioned consultancy firm ZALO Capital to review FWES on the basis that they thought something was amiss. Completed by 2013, the report highlights a review of almost 89 equity schemes – the majority of which are in the Western Cape and the rest are sprinkled across the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and other farming regions in the country. The report found that there were significant financial irregularities, mismanagement, improper accounting practices, and other forms of possible malfeasance. Ncala said the report, which was presented to the DALRRD, has since disappeared, claiming 'the department swiftly smothered it'. 'It is deeply ironic that the country now finds itself targeted by a treacherous disinformation campaign, about imaginary 'land confiscations' and 'mass killings', while farm workers continue to be abused, displaced, and dispossessed of everything they have, including their land. This is the true reflection of the state of our society,' he said. * This story will be updated when the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development responds.
