Africa-Press – South-Africa. ANC bosses in KwaZulu-Natal have assured traditional leaders in the province that there are no plans to seize land belonging to the Ingonyama Trust.
ANC KZN secretary Bheki Mtolo has refuted reports that seek to create an impression that there are plans seize the trust’s land.
Mtolo said media reports are citing the ANC’s integrity commission and an old report of the high level panel headed by former president Kgalema Motlanthe.
“This report was rejected by delegates who were decisive during the 54th ANC National Conference. Nothing has changed. We, therefore, wish to inform the people of KwaZulu-Natal, and Amakhosi in particular, that there is no plan to interfere with the land under the Ingonyama Trust. Such reckless reports must be rejected and categorised as cheap propaganda aimed at creating social instability,” Mtolo said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Traditional trusteeship system of land ownership disempowers majority – Tembeka Ngcukaitobi
Mtolo said no land parcel belonging to the Ingonyama Trust Board would be seized.
“The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal can therefore confirm to the Ingonyama Trust Board, traditional leaders izinduna and all communities that the land under the Ingonyama Trust is safe and no one will touch it. The ANC will remain the first line of defence of our land which belongs to the indigenous black people,” he said.
He also mentioned President Cyril Ramaphosa’s July 2019 visit to Pentecostal Holiness Church in King Cetshwayo district municipality.
Following that visit, Ramaphosa proceeded to meet with the late king – Isilo Samabandla in Richards Bay.
“In this meeting, President Ramaphosa clarified the position of the ANC and the ANC-led government on the issue of the Ingonyama Trust. He informed the king that land expropriation does not include the 13% under the Ingonyama Trust – which is controlled by traditional leaders and black people in particular. The land which is targeted is 87%. This is the land [that] must be returned to the indigenous people who remain marginalised,” he said.
Furthermore, Mtolo said: “Critically, during that meeting, his majesty appreciated the explanation given – that both the ANC and ANC-led government had nothing to do with the recommendations on the Ingonyama Trust – by the High Level Panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation and Acceleration of Fundamental. The king was encouraged that a ministerial task team had been set up by President Ramaphosa to have a series of meetings with houses of traditional leaders at national, provincial and district levels. The team was tasked with the responsibility to address concerns of our traditional leaders.”
ANC deadlocks with other parties on land expropriation
Mtolo added that the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal remains committed to engaging with the institution of traditional leadership to ensure that the land that belongs to indigenous people is returned as a matter of urgency.
“It should be remembered that between 2009 and 2013, the Ingonyama Trust Board did a lot of work to delineate land belonging to various communities and had it accurately mapped on the Global Positioning System. This makes planning much easier even today. There are towns and townships that are located in land under the control of the Ingonyama Trust Board that need the municipality and Ingonyama Trust Board to align plans and fulfil their mandates and responsibilities laid down in law for the benefit of communities,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
