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FORGET ABOUT GETTING LAND AT NKHABA IF ... - ‘SGCOKO’

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NKHABA – Attractive as may be the terrain at Nkhaba, forget about acquiring land there if you do not have a relative.

Acquiring land through traditional structures (kukhonta) at Nkhaba Royal Kraal remains banned. This was a reminder by a member of the royal kraal, Bomgani Sigcokosiyancinca Dlamini to residents during the inauguration of the chiefdom’s new headman (indvuna) Vusi Kunene yesterday. Kunene replaces former headman Paul Mefika Matsebula, who died in February in an accident involving a truck belonging to the Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC) and a kombi. Dlamini clarified that kukhonta was banned after the demise of the area’s chief, who had the authority to allocate land to people. He said at times matters reached the courts as some people were allocated land illegally. He said although the ban was in force, life had to go on. Dlamini explained that the royal kraal could assist those who wanted to give land to their children and relatives.

He said it could assist those who wanted to allocate land to relatives within their land, and made an example of giving them land in family fields. “The fact of the matter is that, allocation of land at Nkhaba was banned,” he said. Dlamini cautioned the new headman to always remember and respect that. He also cautioned the headman to always respect acting Chief, Inkhosikati Molta Dlamini, despite that she was a female. In an interview, Dlamini clarified that kukhonta would only be allowed once there was a chief at Nkhaba. Supporting him in his response was the Nkhaba Inner Council Chairman, Abraham Dlamini, who explained that acquiring of land at Nkhaba stopped in 1999. Abraham said residents were only permitted to build new structures within their allocated family land. The chairman said what troubled them was that there were other chiefdoms which were taking advantage of the situation by illegally allocating land to people within the Nkhaba chiefdom.

He viewed this as an attack on the royal kraal, and said they had reported such acts to relevant authorities. When asked why the royal kraal chose Kunene to be the headman, Abraham said he had good working ethics. He described Kunene as someone who was willing to learn and was familiar with working with people at the royal kraal as he served as the indvuna yemajaha. He added that Kunene showed commitment in everything he did, but stated that sometimes he would be guided by the royal kraal to help him with his new position. Kunene was announced as the new headman to the about 50 residents, who had gathered at the royal kraal, by acting Chief Inkhosikati Molta. The acting chief, in her address which hardly took five minutes, first passed her condolences to the chiefdom for the loss of two former headmen, in Matsebula and Mgcabhi Shabangu. “Vusi Kunene is your new headman,” the Inkhosikati said. Kunene, in an interview, said he wanted to bring unity in the royal kraal so to achieve common goals instead of pulling in different directions. Like a man proud of his culture, he said he wanted to restore the culture of paying homage to traditional authorities at Nkhaba.

 

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