Some of South Africa’s most prominent agricultural figures have been named in a criminal case opened recently in Pretoria. The Izwi Labantu Forum alleges that those implicated directly benefited from, or were complicit in, large-scale looting and corruption.
By Lloyd Phillips, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Allegations of corruption, fraud, money laundering and defeating the ends of justice have been levelled against individuals ranging from leaders of the South African Farmers’ Development Association (SAFDA) in the sugar industry to high-ranking officials in the Presidency.
On 11 June, Norma Mbatha, chairperson of the Izwi Labantu Forum (ILF), deposed an affidavit and filed it at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria to formally open a criminal case against the individuals named.
The ILF is a political advocacy group and non-profit organisation that primarily acts as a rights body representing black farmers, the working class and marginalised communities.
In a statement, the ILF says the criminal case centres on the SAFDA Farm Management Services Company, whose primary purpose is to provide direct operational support, logistics and resource sharing to black small-scale and land reform sugarcane farmers to help make their businesses profitable and sustainable.
SAFDA was established in November 2015 as a parent body aimed at developing and supporting black sugarcane growers. Its operations and projects are funded through a combination of industry statutory levies, corporate partnerships, state funding and other sources, amounting to hundreds of millions of rands annually.
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Names and allegations
In its statement, the ILF alleges:
- That SAFDA is facing a financial deficit of more than R107 million, “with massive misappropriation of public and donor funds”, including R220 million intended for farmer production support units (FPSUs) and R17 million for equipment that was allegedly never delivered;
- That SAFDA chief executive officer Dr Siyabonga Madlala and chief financial officer Mduduzi Dube acquired luxury properties and “a fleet” of high-end vehicles and petrol cards, and made “unexplained payments”, including direct bank transfers of more than R700 000 and monthly stipends to Madlala;
- That Madlala pays school fees and other personal expenses for Nhlanhla Mndaweni, a chief director of land reform in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as for other government officials and politicians;
- That there are “close links” between SAFDA executives; Thoko Didiza, the current speaker of parliament and former minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development; and “proxies” who allegedly own farms leased to white commercial farmers and politically connected individuals while black beneficiaries are evicted;
- That there is “sophisticated corruption” in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s mechanisation programme in the Amajuba and uThukela district municipalities, allegedly involving head of department Zibusiso Dlamini, where inflated claims – including one for R1 184 456 in December 2024 – were allegedly submitted by front companies for work not performed.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg and only the beginning of a long list of government officials, politicians, businesspeople, relatives of government officials, former government officials, and individuals acting as fronts who have allegedly turned the agricultural sector into a slush fund at the expense of black emerging farmers and rural communities. This cannot continue.”
The ILF says its case also implicates Mduduzi Mbada, head of the Office of the Deputy President; Mooketsa Ramasodi, deputy director-general of the national Department of Agriculture; Nonceba Mhlauli, deputy minister in the Presidency; and others “for their alleged failure to act [and for their] protection of implicated parties…”
‘A certain obscure outfit’
In a response statement, SAFDA says it outrightly rejects the malicious and unfounded allegations published “by a certain obscure outfit”, namely the ILF.
“We neither know nor have any relationship with this organisation and are surprised about their posture against us. We have not seen the affidavit and are not au fait with its contents. We are seeking legal advice… on the rights we have in law in the face of these damaging allegations.
“We reject any notion advanced that SAFDA is a corrupt organisation. We conduct our farmer development work with integrity and above board. We uphold accountability and transparency as sacrosanct values.”
Responses to the allegations
African Farming has submitted requests for comment to all the government institutions where individuals named in the ILF’s allegations are employed. Any responses will be added as and when they become available.
Sifiso Mhlaba, executive director of the South African Sugar Association (SASA), the umbrella body of the primary sugarcane value chain, has confirmed that he has been made aware of the allegations against SAFDA, a member of SASA. “At this stage SASA is not in a position to proffer any further comment on this
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