Lawyers and fiduciary practitioners in Nelspruit say the Mbombela Master’s Office is in a ‘crisis’ and they want the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development to intervene urgently.

Mbombela Attorneys Association chairperson Annelien de Kock told GroundUp that major backlogs, insufficient resources and staff, and a shortage of properly qualified personnel had led to a ‘crisis;’ at the office.

De Kock said the situation at the office has been ‘unacceptable’ for too long. She said the Mbombela Master had previously conceded a lack of human resources, insufficient budget, and a long-term backlog.

To address this, the association and its members had offered their services pro bono to Acting Chief Master Kalayvani Pillay and the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi to assist with clearing the backlog.

They never received a response.

The Department of Justice in n January said the Mbombela office has about 45 staff. However, the Mbombela Attorneys Association believes the figure is closer to 15.

‘We believe that this is the main reason why there are numerous complaints,’ said De Kock.

Paul Roos at Executrust Fiduciary Services, which provides estate planning and administrative services in Nelspruit, said: ‘Something big needs to happen to get this office back on track. It is going from bad to worse. It is dire.’

In April 2025 in a submission to the Portfolio Committee on Justice & Constitutional Development, the Mbombela Attorneys Association complained about the office persistently missing turnaround times which caused significant disruptions. The department failed to respond to questions.

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