Thousands of South African farm workers who were supposed to gain greater ownership and participation in commercial agriculture are still waiting for the benefits promised through government-funded equity schemes.
The failure of the programmes has prompted Parliament’s Land Reform and Rural Development Committee to demand a forensic investigation into how more than R700 million in public money was spent.
Committee chairperson Albert Mncwango said the focus should now be on establishing why the schemes failed and what can be done to assist the people who were meant to benefit.
The schemes were introduced as part of government’s broader land reform efforts, with the aim of giving farm workers shared ownership and a greater stake in agricultural businesses.
But according to Mncwango, many beneficiaries have not seen the intended results.
The committee is concerned that significant amounts of public money were invested without producing meaningful outcomes for the people at the centre of the programmes.
“For this reason, the committee is of the view that there is a strong case for a comprehensive forensic intervention or even investigation into the implications of the schemes, including the utilization of public funds,” Mncwango said.
The proposed investigation would examine the use of public funds and the broader implications of the failed initiatives.
For Parliament, the issue is not simply about determining how much money was spent. It is also about understanding why the programmes failed to translate government funding into meaningful ownership and economic opportunities.
Mncwango said the committee had also requested a time-bound recovery and intervention plan from the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development.
The plan is expected to outline concrete steps to assist affected beneficiaries and address the problems created by the failed schemes.
The demand comes as land reform remains one of South Africa’s most politically and economically sensitive issues.
For farm workers, access to land and meaningful participation in agriculture can provide a pathway to greater economic security. When such programmes fail, however, beneficiaries can be left with little to show for years of government intervention.
The committee’s call for a forensic probe could therefore mark a significant escalation in Parliament’s scrutiny of land reform spending.