The Chief Master’s Directive issued in March 2017, (the “Directive”), announced new changes to be implemented with respect to the administration of all trusts. The Directive demands the appointment of an independent trustee where the trust is registered for the first time with the Master’s Office and it emerges from the trust deed that the trust is a “family business trust”. This requirement results from the judgment in Land and Agricultural Bank of South Africa v Parker and Others, where the court determined that the Master must restrict or prevent the abuse of trusts.