By Lelohonolo Lehana.
King Misuzulu KaZwelithini is threatening to take government to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), adding that he would also approach the African Union’s African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights over Ingonyama Trust control.
About 2.8 million hectares of land in KwaZulu-Natal are under the administration of the Ingonyama Trust, whose sole trustee is the Zulu regent, King Misuzulu.
The Ingonyama Trust Board collects over R100 million annually from those leasing the land.
The King called a meeting of amakhosi in Ulundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal to push back against an attempt by the African National Congress (ANC) provincial government to strip amakhosi of their powers under the Ingonyama Trust to sign permissions to occupy tribal land by tenants.
“I am here to report to you as your king and the chair of the Ingonyama Trust Board that we are in a delicate period, we are not getting along in that board, they are refusing to accept me.
“They want me out, but I don’t know how because I am the sole trustee, but now when I am chairing it, it seems there is a problem,” he said.
The king did not provide specific details except mentioning Ingonyama Trust CEO Vela Mngwengwe as the key driver.
“I am not here to scare you, but things are not going well,” said the king.
The king said he was saddened by tensions between traditional leaders and the government over the trust as “these were issues when my father was still alive and are still an issue now all because of land. They want to deal with us, they hate us for our land.”
He said he was prepared to call on international courts in his fight to protect the land of the Zulus.
“It’s painful that we are going into elections without these issues being discussed but if they [the SA government] can take Jerusalem [Israel] to the International Court of Justice, I can also open a case against them in the ICJ. No land will be taken under my reign, I’m going to my uncle (Mswati III), I’m going to tell him I’m opening a case,” he added.
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza said it is somehow surprising that King Misuzulu has called a meeting with amakhosi to discuss the future of Ingonyama Trust and excluded her department.