By Sihle Mavuso
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, the guardian of the Zulu nation’s Ingonyama Trust, has promised to fight tooth and nail to protect it.
The Zulu king on Thursday called a meeting of amakhosi in Ulundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal to push back against an attempt by the outgoing ANC provincial government to strip amakhosi of their powers under the Ingonyama Trust to sign permissions to occupy tribal land by tenants.
However, the meeting was “boycotted” by some amakhosi, including Inkosi Sifiso Shinga, the chairperson of the provincial House of Traditional and Khoi-San leaders. Shinga said in a letter on Wednesday that the meeting was “untimely.”
King Misuzulu said he is prepared to call on international courts in his fight. He also said he would get assistance from his uncle, King Mswati III, the ruler of the Kingdom of Eswatini, because the two kingdoms are related through royal marriages.
During the meeting with amakhosi, which the media was allowed to observe, the King had harsh words for Thoko Didiza, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Affairs, and Rural Development. He also criticised advocate Vela Mngwengwe, the CEO of the Ingonyama Trust.
The King said Mngwengwe and the trust were not accepting him as the board chairperson, a position he assumed last year.
“Let me tell you that we don’t get along in that board. They don’t accept me, they want to fire me. I don’t know why because I am the beneficiary of Ingonyama Trust,” the King said, hinting that Didiza could be behind this.
At some point, the King said there was a move by some people to keep the Zulu royal family occupied by the fight for the throne while taking away the tribal land of the Zulu nation. He also said there is a notion that Zulus are uneducated and don’t deserve any land.
“I am going to Eswazini today to lodge a case over Ingonyama Trust in the International Court (sic). Since they can drag Jerusalem (Israel) to it, we will do the same.
“We are going to the International Court over Ingonyama Trust,” the King told the meeting, adding that he would also approach the African Union’s African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Pictured above: King Misuzulu’s meeting with amakhosi in Ulundi on Thursday.
Image source: Sihle Mavuso
