Minister Thoko Didiza addressed this during a media briefing with the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. 

See PODCAST below

This briefing, which was held on 23 March 2021, follows after the Auditor-General (AG) highlighted issues regarding the department’s audit outcome.

Didiza acknowledged that the department faces issues relating to land administration, land governance systems, accountability, slow disciplinary processes as well as consequence management. She added that the lack of appropriate skill sets by officials within her department to deal with land administration forms part of issues in the agriculture department. She stated that this can be seen in the numerous land cases that have been ongoing.

The minister said regarding investigating complaints against her department, the Director-General visited Mpumalanga to oversee concerns raised regarding farmers that were given eviction notices.

According to her, during this visit, it was revealed that there is a problem with the arbitrary nature of the allocation of farms, particularly at district and provincial level. She said that in some instances farmers were given caretaker agreements that are not confirmed on the land. She further stated that the question that exists is why an individual is entrusted with an asset of the state for a certain period of time and not qualified.

Additionally, Didiza made known that in some instances, the lease agreements were not finalised in time nor managed to assist farmers in identifying any transgressions within these agreements. “This arbitrariness of management are matters that have caused concern and they have been brought very sharply on the advertisement that was made on agricultural state land… The majority of farmers came to us and said [that] some of the pieces of land that are being advertised were actually given to them as leases and nobody had ever come back to... even confirm that such leases have lapsed.”

She added that her department had resolved to set up a land administration system that will help to achieve proper land management and governance with clear standard operating procedures and transparency relating to the criteria for allocation. This will be to avoid unethical rules conveyed by departmental officials.

The minister further stated that disciplinary processes have been instituted against officials who have been alleged of wrongdoing. Didiza added that where further investigations are required, the internal audit has been tasked to conduct this, “so that we can come to the root of some of the challenges”.

She explained that the department was made aware of a matter where a farmer was being extorted by an official to pay money. Didiza said that this investigation could not be concluded as the official, in this case, has passed away.

Another issue that was raised by the AG, added Didiza, was the department’s supply chain management and the disclosures by officials who are doing business within the state. The issues relating to this are being dealt with accordingly, said Didiza.

Furthermore, the minister also stated that regarding irregular expenditure within the department, that were found in earlier agreements, the Director-General referred the matters to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for further investigation.

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