A public dispute between a senior KwaZulu-Natal agriculture official and an Izwi Labantu Forum member has intensified following a viral video from the organisation’s January 2026 march to the Union Buildings, raising fresh questions about accountability, trust and support for black farmers.
By Lebogang Mashala, Editor at African Farming
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Rural Development and Land Reform chief director Nhlanhla Mndaweni has strongly rejected claims made by Ndumiseni Hlangeni, an Izwi Labantu member and farmer from the uThukela District, who accused government of failing to support him despite repeated requests.
The allegations were made during Izwi Labantu Forum’s national farmers’ march, which called for immediate and equitable access to land and production finance for black emerging farmers, as well as decisive action against farm murders, stock theft and rural criminality.
In a widely circulated video, Hlangeni can be heard expressing frustration over what he described as years of neglect by the department. He further alleged that Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen had ignored an invitation to visit his farm, instead sending a junior official.
Mndaweni, however, took to Facebook to dispute the claims, accusing Hlangeni of misleading the public and squandering extensive state support.
“So, this man who was busy insulting everyone and playing victim, and some of you thought he is this brave hero fighting for the poor, here are the facts,” Mndaweni wrote.
He detailed what he said were substantial interventions provided to Hlangeni over several years, including:
- Allocation of a 260ha farm in 2011 valued at R5.3 million;
- R6.1 million in support from the Department of Land Affairs in 2012;
- R4 million from the Department of Agriculture; and
- R4.3 million from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development.
Mndaweni further claimed that Hlangeni benefited from government tenders and was provided with two tractors and various farming implements.
“Today you won’t find even one cow on the farm after he was given 400 cattle. Today you won’t find even one wheelbarrow after he was given two high-end tractors and various implements,” Mndaweni wrote. “He squandered it all but claims to have been underfunded.”
According to Mndaweni, government funding was eventually withdrawn due to a lack of production on the state-owned farm, which he said negatively affects food security.
“He is angry because government cannot fund him any longer, and he does not want to vacate a government farm where there is no production,” Mndaweni said, adding that he had attempted to link Hlangeni with alternative funding institutions.
Mndaweni also indicated that he was considering legal action, arguing that civil servants are frequently defamed for political reasons, particularly ahead of elections.
“They mobilise public sympathy and blackmail politicians so that officials must be silent sacrificial lambs and accept being labelled corrupt without any proof,” he wrote. “Well, not any longer.”
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‘Deeply Concerning and Dangerous’ Comments
The public response by the chief director drew a sharp rebuttal from Izwi Labantu Forum Gauteng leader Melissa Davids, who described Mndaweni’s comments as “deeply concerning and dangerous”.
In a statement, Davids said the organisation could not stand by while one of the farmers who marched with them was publicly defamed and placed at risk.
“The issue before us is not merely the allegations raised by the KwaZulu-Natal chief director,” she said. “What we are analysing with utmost seriousness is the deadly threat embedded in the manner and timing of these public statements.”
Davids argued that Mndaweni’s remarks appeared designed to discredit the testimonies presented directly to government during the national farmers’ march on 29 January 2026.
“The apparent objective is clear: To cast doubt on the lived realities of black farmers, create confusion in the public mind and, in the worst-case scenario, silence a vocal farmer through intimidation or worse,” she said.
As a result, the Izwi Labantu Forum announced that it had placed all progressive engagements with government on hold, pending what it described as decisive action regarding officials who have “breached the fragile trust” established during recent engagements led by the Presidency.
The organisation further expressed concerns about what it described as a potentially coordinated effort to discredit farmers, citing a video clip posted by Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development Mzwanele Nyhontso. Izwi Labantu has demanded that the clip be removed or clarified if it was not intended to be threatening or defamatory.
Izwi Labantu warned that if Mndaweni was not placed on precautionary suspension by close of business on Monday, 9 February 2026, the organisation will serve notice under the Regulation of Gatherings Act (Act 205 of 1993) for a peaceful march to the Union Buildings on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
At that march, the forum said black farmers from KwaZulu-Natal would present documented evidence and personal testimonies detailing alleged corruption, threats and systemic failures within the agricultural support system.
Izwi Labantu has appealed to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in his capacity as chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture, to intervene urgently.
“The eyes of the nation, and especially of struggling black farmers, are on government,” Davids said.
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