Mzwanele Nyhontso approved the immediate suspension of the officials from the commission’s Eastern Cape land claims office.
In a statement on Wednesday, the minister said the allegations are being taken seriously and measures have been put in place to ensure the relevant authorities can conduct a thorough investigation.
“Corruption undermines the commitment to restore land rights and provide restitution to rightful beneficiaries,” he said.
In response, Saai said this action showed the minister’s “promising commitment to eradicating corruption in the department” just a month after his appointment. This gives Saai hope that the minister will continue this course of action without hesitation.
According to Dr Theo de Jager, chairperson of Saai’s board, corruption, nepotism, cadre enrichment and fraud are rampant in the department.
“The current processes and procedures used to identify beneficiaries of land reform, as well as the way transactions, payments and support funds are managed, are prone to abuse.
“However, farmers and other landowners are now optimistic, thanks to the minister’s firm actions, that stricter measures and investigations into irregularities in the department will be conducted, and that previously concluded transactions and payments will also be re-examined,” De Jager said.
He added that corruption in the department has been under scrutiny for years, with no consequences for implicated officials or politicians.
“Firm action by a minister who owes no sympathy or loyalty to the officials is the only hope of putting land reform and the establishment of a new group of profitable black farmers back on track.”
According to the department, interim measures have been put in place to ensure that service delivery in the Eastern Cape can continue efficiently.
The number of officials suspended was not mentioned in the statement. Further suspensions are expected as the investigation continues.
