Ingonyama Trust Says Axing of Board Would Disrupt Signing of Tenure Leases and Disbursements Requested by Amakhosi

The Ingonyama Trust says the dissolution of the board will affect its operations. Photo: Facebook

The Ingonyama Trust (IT) says the decision by the Minister of Land Affairs and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso, to suspend its board will hamper its operations.

The trust which manages a vast tract of tribal land in KwaZulu-Natal also said the decision by Nyhontso is unlawful.

In a statement on Thursday, the trust said the practical effect of Nyhontso’s decision is to halt critical institutional processes that directly affect traditional communities.

“The Ingonyama Trust is deeply concerned that outside of it being inconsistent with the legal framework governing the Trust, the practical effect of this decision is to halt critical institutional processes that directly affect traditional communities.

“Disbursements requested by amaKhosi for the benefit of traditional communities cannot proceed under the current circumstances, and approvals relating to tenure rights applications also cannot be finalised.

“These are not abstract governance issues. They have immediate consequences for communities, place severe strain on the operational functioning of the institution, and risk delaying development support, land administration processes and tenure-related security for affected beneficiaries,” the trust said.

The trust (not the board) added that it will take the matter under urgent review, as the purported termination is not consistent with the KwaZulu-Natal Ingonyama Trust Act and the applicable Administrative Regulations.

“The Trust emphasises that vacancies do not automatically suspend the legal existence or functioning of the accounting authority. The Act expressly contemplates continuity, and the existence of governance strain cannot lawfully be treated as automatic grounds for effectively displacing the accounting authority,” it added.

Nyhontsho dissolved the board, saying it had totally collapsed and announced that an administrator would be appointed to take over the running of the day-to-day affairs of the trust.

That prompted a push back from the dissolved board, hinting that it would likely take the matter to court for a review.