I recently had the opportunity to be part of a webinar where Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, directly engaged with stakeholders on the dire state of South Africa’s Master’s Offices. Her remarks painted a picture of dysfunction that is both alarming and, surprisingly, tinged with hope.
Let’s not mince words, the situation at these offices is nothing short of a mess. Operations at six Master’s Offices across the country have practically ground to a halt, largely because crucial leadership roles were left vacant at the end of March. No Chief Master. No acting heads. Just a vacuum of responsibility at institutions meant to serve the most vulnerable, from orphans and widows to those declared mentally unfit.
The Master's Offices play an essential role in the administration of deceased estates, insolvent estates, trusts, and the Guardian’s Fund. Without the necessary leadership in place, authority simply cannot be delegated. The ripple effects? Endless delays, lost documents, and people left emotionally and financially stranded.
Louis van Vuuren from the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) laid it out plainly: over half of the complaints logged on their website relate to the Cape Town office alone. That’s not just a blip, that’s systemic failure. He spoke of routine backlogs, letters of authority taking months, and files simply vanishing. And yet, he also noted that there are “pockets of excellence” that prove this dysfunction isn't inevitable, it’s fixable.
Minister Kubayi didn’t sugar-coat the situation either. She recounted disturbing first-hand accounts of officials sauntering in late, disappearing for extended tea and lunch breaks, and outright ignoring the public. She says it’s behaviour that borders on contempt for the very citizens these offices are meant to serve.
Still, despite the chaos, I found myself hopeful. The Minister acknowledged the crisis and, crucially, seems intent on action. She’s called for patience while she assembles a team of capable professionals, including individuals who were part of the successful turnaround at Home Affairs. That’s no small promise. If she delivers, it could be the beginning of real change.
But let’s be clear: we’ve heard promises before. What South Africans need now is not more rhetoric but a visible, measurable improvement. We need to know that when we walk into a Master’s Office, we’ll be treated with respect, our cases will be handled efficiently, and that no one will leave more broken than when they arrived.
I want to believe Minister Kubayi means business. If she does, she’ll find willing allies among the public and professional stakeholders alike. But if not, the consequences will be felt far beyond just long queues and lost files. They’ll be felt in families denied justice, in children waiting for access to their rightful inheritance, and in the erosion of faith in public institutions. She says she will update the stakeholders in a week or two.
*Maleke is the editor of Personal Finance.
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