THE issue of the dissolution of the board of the fund that oversees Zulu’s land, the Ngonyama Trust, has gone to court.
The board of Ngonyama Trust has gone to court to challenge the decision of the Minister of Lands, Mzwanele Nyhontso, to dissolve it. The Ngonyama Trust board filed an urgent application in court challenging Nyhontso’s decision.
This news was revealed by the chief executive of Ngonyama Trust, Mr. Siyamdumisa Vilakazi, when he spoke to the media on Friday.
Nyhontso announced the decision to dissolve the board last week, saying that he is dissolving the board because many board members have resigned as there are only four left.
Nyhontso said that the remaining board members are below the number of members required for the board to function but Vilakazi said that Nyhontso’s decision is against the law governing Ngonyama Trust.
“We will submit our documents to the court today (Friday), we hope that the matter will be heard on Monday or Tuesday.”
Nyhontso ordered the board members to collect all their belongings and leave the Ngonyama Trust offices on Thursday, but on Friday, the Deputy Chairman of the board, Advocate Linda Zama, was still working.
Vilakazi said that it is not that they are forced to sit in the offices but he said that they will not allow the violation of the law.
“The lawyers told us that the decision to dissolve the board is illegal. In this country there are laws that must be followed.”
Advocate Zama said Nyhontso’s decision interferes with the operation of Ngonyama Trust.
“The dissolution of the board will disrupt Ngonyama Trust’s plans and will make people afraid to invest in properties under Ngonyama Trust.”
This is not the first time Nyhontso has clashed with the Ngonyama Trust board.
Last year, Nyhontso wrote to the board members asking them why he should not suspend them from work?
The board members replied that Nyhontso had no power to stop them. The members of the board are in conflict with the Chairman of the board, Silo Misuzulu Sinqobile of Zwelithini.
Mbube accuses the members of the board of not respecting him and that they do not want to accept him as the Chairman of the board.
Meanwhile: The team appointed by Mbube to persuade political parties to support its proposal to amend the law governing the Ngonyama Trust has started its work.
Mbube wants to be given the power to appoint board members. Currently the board members are appointed by Nyhontso.
The team appointed by Mbube has started writing to the parties represented in Parliament, asking to meet their leadership.
It is a country saw the letters where the Mbube team asked to meet with the DA and EFF leadership.
Mbube’s team includes the Prime Minister of Zulu, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the retired Judge, Mbubileseni Isaac Madondo, and the judge’s lawyer, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi.