Zulu regiments up in arms over king’s ‘undermining’ at Ingonyama Trust

Zulu regiments will embark on a peaceful protest outside the Ingonyama Trust offices in Pietermaritzburg on Friday in support of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini in his dispute with the trust’s board members.

The Zulu monarch is engaged in a long-standing battle with senior board members over the running of the trust’s affairs.

As board chair and the sole trustee of the Ingonyama Trust, Misuzulu has previously tried to have the board disbanded after it overruled him in some of his actions.

One of them was when the king wanted to oust CEO Vela Mngwengwe at the end of his contract in July last year but the board voted to extend it by a further three years.

In December, Misuzulu appointed Mpumalanga-based firm Van Rensburg Kruger Rakwena Attorneys to conduct a forensic investigation into the trust’s affairs after accusing the board of financial mismanagement.

He suspended six executive members including Mngwengwe and CFO Siyamdumisa Vilakazi, pending an investigation into alleged breaches of the Public Finance Management Act.

However, land reform & rural development minister Mzwanele Nyhontso intervened, insisting it was him and not the king who has the power to act against the board.

This led to regiments defending their king whom they believe is being “undermined”, sparking the protest which will be led by co-commander Prince Vanana Zulu of KwaMinyamanzi.

“In Zulu culture, the king’s word is final. It is tasteless and offensive to see the king’s authority seemingly disregarded by some board members and by the minister of rural development,” he said.

The regiment’s demands include:

• transparency and accountability regarding recent unauthorised or dubious land transactions;
• respect for the authority of the king and the sole trustee as guaranteed by Zulu culture and by the Ingonyama Trust Act; and
• answers from the Ingonyama Trust board, the minister of rural development and any individuals involved in the purported sale of land.

They also want clarity on the relationship of the board with the king as they believe he is being “excluded” from board meetings, with reports indicating he had only attended three meetings.

“We want clarity on whether the board is properly following the procedures for calling board meetings, especially those involving the king, who should be leading these discussions,” said Zulu.

“The sole trustee represents the beneficiaries’ interests and mandates. If he is sidelined, then it follows that the Zulu beneficiaries — for whom the land is held — are being ignored.”

Another point of contention is the reported sale of Ingonyama Trust land, allegedly without the go-ahead from the king.

“A statement released by Mngwengwe on December 27 indicates Ingonyama Trust land was sold for just more than R22m and the money was allegedly ‘immediately invested’.”

He questioned the legal provisions the “suspended board” relied on to sell the land without authorisation from the king or consultation with the beneficiaries.

“Why was the R22m not declared to the trustee and the beneficiaries before it was purportedly ‘invested’? Why were the beneficiaries not consulted before making any major investments with the proceeds of the land sale?”

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