The Portfolio Committee on Land Reform discussed issues with Ingonyama Holdings, including failure to return a R41 million loan, lack of accountability by its directors, and requested investigations into these matters.
On September 19, 2025, the Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development received a presentation from the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) regarding Ingonyama Holdings (IH). IH serves as the investment and commercial entity for the Ingonyama Trust, which is its only shareholder and was registered on November 29, 2019.
The committee learned that IH has not provided accountability to the ITB since its inception. Former ITB leaders, Mr. Sipho Ngwenya and Mr. Lucas Mkhwanazi, who are also IH directors, have not accounted for their actions and have obstructed proper governance. A complaint was filed with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and subsequently, a fraud case was opened with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in February 2025, but there has been no response.
The ITB highlighted that it had given IH R41 million as seed funding, which has not been repaid or accounted for. Due to ongoing issues and lack of accountability, the ITB decided to cut ties with IH. The committee expressed concern regarding the lack of assistance from the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development and noted the absence of intervention from the Minister or department officials.
Mr. Mkhwanazi had resigned from the ITB to become a director at IH, raising questions about whether the ITB was informed of this transition. The committee noted that the IH seemed to operate independently without oversight.
Committee Chairperson Mr. Albert Mncwango stated that the committee supports ITB’s recommendation to subpoena the IH directors for accountability. Additionally, they considered requesting the President to authorize an investigation by the Hawks and the Special Investigating Unit into the matter, citing conflicts of interest in leadership roles within both organizations.
