On the eve of South Africa's Human Rights Day commemoration on Friday 21 March 2025, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) undertook a special visit to the leadership of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The SAHRC team, led by Commissioner, Advocate Sandra Makoasha, engaged with government officials from the Department, led by MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, at the Department's offices in Durban.

Beyond introductory pleasantries, Commissioner Adv. Makoasha and the team raised critical concerns regarding the government's obligation to address the challenges faced by the poor and marginalised, in line with the principles of a Chapter Nine Institution. They emphasised the need for a pro-poor and people-centred approach, highlighting pressing issues such as food insecurity, as evidenced by a recent study indicating that 17 percent of households in KZN face severe hunger.

The team addressed the lack of access to markets, resulting in post-harvest losses, and emphasised the need for redistribution, restitution and land tenure programmes to benefit landless and previously disadvantaged communities, farm workers, small-scale and subsistence farmers.

The SAHRC team proposed collaborative efforts with Departments such as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the Department of Social Development (DSD) to address climate change and alleged gender-based violence and femicide on farms.

MEC kaMadlopha-Mthethwa acknowledged the commission's concerns and outlined various interventions and programmes aimed at addressing food security, including the launch of the Provincial Multi-Planting Season, One Home One Garden, Mechanisation and Catalyst programme - Agrihub to be built in Richards Bay to enhance market access. Both teams agreed to further deliberate on issues that would result in improved service delivery for the people, particularly in the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of the country's economy.