Premier Thami Ntuli of KwaZulu-Natal urges collaborative governance following the dissolution of the Ingonyama Trust Board.
Image: Supllied
The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thami Ntuli, has issued a clarion call for restraint and constructive engagement during the significant transition following the dissolution of the Ingonyama Trust Board.
In comments made shortly after Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso, announced the board's disbandment, the Premier emphasised the necessity of cooperative governance in tackling critical issues such as land management, development, and traditional leadership.
This decision affects approximately 2.8 million hectares of land in KwaZulu-Natal, which the Ingonyama Trust Board has managed for the benefit, material welfare, and social well-being of specific traditional communities residing on the land.
In his announcement, Minister Nyhontso confirmed that he had consultations with various stakeholders, including His Majesty the King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, the sole trustee of the trust, and Premier Ntuli.
Ntuli said the consultations were fruitful and of strategic significance as the Ingonyama Trust was a conerstone in the province's rural economy and an essential vehicle for fostering inclusive development.
“The Ingonyama Trust remains central to the socio-economic development of our rural communities.
"It is intrinsically linked to the seventh Administration’s commitment to inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, and the building of sustainable livelihoods,” he said.
The premier assured that the provincial government was prepared to collaborate with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the objectives of the Ingonyama Trust were not only preserved but also enhanced.
He said the commitment encompassed effective land management, infrastructure development, and unlocking economic opportunities on land held by the trust.
“We remain committed, as a government, to supporting initiatives that empower rural communities, improve land administration systems, and accelerate development in areas under the jurisdiction of the Trust,” he said.
In the past the Ingonyama Trust has been a source of conflict between the government and the Zulu monarch since it's formation in 1994.
Then the trust, which administers the communal land of the Zulu nation, emerged from a secret deal between the National Party and the IFP, which had planned to boycott the first democratic elections before the deal was struck.
With King Misuzulu as its sole trustee, the trust controls about 28,000km² or 29% of KwaZulu-Natal land.
In 2024, Misuzulu fired Thanduyise Mzimela, then chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust Board, and took the helm himself.
After Mzimela’s firing, at least one other member of the board resigned, citing personal reasons.
King Misuzulu has been disapproving about government overreach in past and maintained that he wanted to do away with the department's oversight function.
Trust, under the auspices of the department, like all public entities, its finances and governance is audited regularly.
However, the king wants to be the sole arbiter of the land, minus the trust and other government restrictions.