Phakel'umthakathi srikes back:"This Minister will be gone in a week!"
Face-Off: Nyhontso and 'Phakel'umthakathi' lock horns over explosive land reform claims
Minister of Land Reform, Mzwanele Nyhontso and Nkosikhona 'Phakel'umthakathi'Ndabandaba lock horns.
The Ministry of Land Reform and Rural Development has instructed its lawyers to pursue legal action against Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, widely known as "Phakel'umthakathi".
This over what it describes as false and defamatory claims made against Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso.
In a media statement dated 9 June 2026, the ministry said it had noted with "serious concern" public statements made by Ndabanda regarding Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso.
According to the statement, the allegations were made on social media platforms and during a podcast appearance.
The ministry said that the claims included allegations that the minister was involved in the abuse of black people on farms, the eviction of black families and the transfer of land to white farmers.
"The Ministry rejects these allegations as false, unfounded, and damaging,"the statement reads.
It further argued that the claims were not supported by evidence and had the potential to mislead the public, harm the reputations of both the minister and the department, and undermine confidence in government's land reform programme.
The ministry emphasised that while it respected freedom of expression and public accountability, those rights did not extend to the publication of false and defamatory statements.
Legal action on the cards
The department said it had instructed its legal representatives to take appropriate legal steps against Ndabanda.
"These steps are intended to protect the integrity of the Minister, the department, and the broader public mandate entrusted to the Ministry," the statement said.
The ministry added that it remained focused on advancing equitable access to land, protecting the rights of historically dispossessed communities and strengthening public confidence in land reform.
Ndabanda hits back
Ndabandaba responded to Nyhontso and said:
"I don't go around, provoking leaders but it's the other way around, then I respond. By the way he will loose his position within a week of filing his Court papers," Ndabandaba said.
He said that politicians should be held accountable by the public.
"We must teach these politicians a lesson and 2026 should be a year of reviving the CONSCIENCE in some of the people who call themselves leaders," said Ndabandaba.
Land debate continues
At the centre of the dispute is the ongoing and often heated debate around land reform and land ownership in South Africa more than three decades after the advent of democracy.
Ndabanda maintained that government's land reform programme had failed to fundamentally alter ownership patterns.
"32 years into 'DEMOCRACY' the land is still strategically leased to the whites after strategically purchasing it from them," he said.As of publication, it remains unclear when formal court papers will be filed.