GROUNDUP: ‘Soul-crushing’ Master’s Office stuck in cycle of delays and dysfunction

The Johannesburg Master’s Office remains plagued by backlogs, delays and unreliable systems six months after GroundUp last reported on its dysfunction. Lawyers and officials also point to alleged bribery and a lack of permanent leadership, leaving families and businesses facing costly delays.

Six months after GroundUp last reported on backlogs, delays, inefficiency and corruption at the Johannesburg Master’s Office, sources say they see no improvement.

The office in Marshall Street has not had a permanent Master since 2024.

Delays in appointing an executor, lodging or amending a trust deed, or finalising an insolvency can leave people’s lives in limbo.

For instance, without a letter of executorship, which can take months, beneficiaries cannot access funds or insurance bonds. Delays may lead to devastating financial losses.

Lawyers described applying for court orders simply to compel the Master to make a decision, adding legal costs for families who were already grieving.

In the business sector, delays in appointing insolvency practitioners harm creditors, workers and local communities.

We spoke to six lawyers who regularly deal with the office. They preferred not to be named so that the service they receive at the office is not compromised.

One attorney said the experience “crushes your soul”, as practitioners and the public are often pushed from pillar to post.

A Master’s Office official, who asked not to be named, said there was a “growing backlog that we are struggling to catch up on as new matters are logged”.

Despite efforts to digitise, the Johannesburg Master’s Office remains a “paper fortress”, lawyers say. When we visited the office last week, we saw files piled floor to ceiling, with documents overflowing into corridors.

One attorney told GroundUp that it should take no more than a couple of weeks to hear back after lodging an estate, but he was once left waiting for more than a year. He searched through towers of paper taller than himself for a document, without any help. The document was never found.

The digital systems meant to reduce paperwork had offered some relief but were often offline, lawyers we spoke to said. Many practitioners continue to submit paper forms because the online system is so unreliable.

Because of the inefficiency, clients and legal professionals allegedly pay intermediaries called “runners” who have connections inside the office.