The days of the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) could be numbered after members of the Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development admitted that it was not possible for the board to continue operating in the face of a hostile relationship with its chairperson, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.
The members of the committee are expected to visit the board at the end of January next year.
Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso, told The Mercury yesterday that he will be taking action soon.
The committee members said the board was not performing as expected by Parliament, and the hostile relationship with the king was at the centre of its poor performance.
The king has called for the board to be dissolved, saying it lacks “legitimacy and credibility”.
The king, speaking through his Prime Minister, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, on Wednesday said, “His Majesty rejects the board and is not prepared to work with it. The only solution is for the board to be dissolved. His Majesty feels that the board has no legitimacy or credibility since it has never convened a meeting of amakhosi since its inception.”
This statement came after the board had told the media on the same day that its relationship with the king was normal.
The Mercury understands from committee members that the process of dissolving the board requires the king to write to Parliament, informing it that he has lost confidence in the board.
They said the board came about through an Act of Parliament and acts on behalf of a trust, and in this case, the king is the sole trustee. The king can therefore write to Parliament, explaining why he has lost faith in the board, requesting its dissolution, and outlining the interim arrangements once the board has been dissolved. Parliament would then take over, with the minister having the final say on the matter.
Asked about the matter yesterday, Minister Nyhontso said: “What I can say is that the king has spoken; he has said he has no faith in the board, and a decision has to be taken, which will be made by me as the minister. What I want is a board that is functioning, a board that is delivering for the people of KwaZulu-Natal, and a board that has the faith and respect of the king. I will be meeting with the king soon and will be meeting with the board again.
“A decision that is going to be taken here will be a result of the consultation process. I do not want to pre-empt the decision by speaking on the process that is followed in dissolving the board. Let us not rush to that; what I can reiterate is that the king has made it clear that he has no faith in the board,” said Nyhontso.
Bonginkosi Madikizela, an MP and member of the Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development, said the relationship between the king and the board had completely broken down, and it was time to find a board that the king could work with.
“We are going to be visiting KwaZulu-Natal as a committee in the last week of January, where we are looking to find a way forward from this situation. The dissolution of the board will be considered seriously because it is time that a new board is found that the king can work with.
“It is not possible for this board to continue working when it does not have the trust of the king. The breakdown of the relationship between the king and the board is at the centre of the board being unable to comply with its requirements before Parliament,” said Madikizela, noting that the board is faced with many challenges, including failure to account for the funds of the trust.
The board told The Mercury on Wednesday that it was the previous board that had overseen the disbursement of funds amounting to R41 million and had not accounted for it. It stated that it still cannot account for the funds.