By Sihle Mavuso
The Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) has been dissolved after years of turbulence, open fights and defiance of King Misuzulu KaZwelithini after he took over as the executive chairperson in February 2024.
The decision to disband the board was publicly communicated on Wednesday by the Minister of Land Affairs and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso after he got the nod to do so from the Zulu King — who is the sole trustee of the entity — and from the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thamsanqa Ntuli.
The board was rendered legally dysfunctional when Dr Thandi Dlamini resigned last week, leaving only four board members in office.
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“Administrative Regulations issued under the KwaZulu-Natal Ingonyama Trust Act provide that five members of the accounting authority constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Board. The Regulations further provide that where a quorum is not present at the first meeting, a further meeting may be convened, and the members present at that later meeting may form a quorum for that meeting,” said Nyhontsho.
Nyhontso added that the board will now be replaced by an administrator who will take over the day to day running of the affairs of the entity, which oversees 2,8 million hectares of minerals and agricultural rich tribal land across KwaZulu-Natal.
“[An] Administrator will be designated to oversee the day-to-day operational administration of the Trust in term of section 49(3) of the PFMA. It is directed at maintaining operational continuity and administrative stability. And the other memberships will be dealt with through due process,” he said.
He stressed that this is an interim arrangement as a new board will be appointed soon.
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“The process to reconstitute the Board will proceed in accordance with the provisions of the Act and the applicable consultation requirements. Additionally, the Minister is satisfied that this course of action is necessary to protect the continuity of the lawful administration of the Trust and to safeguard the interests of the communities for whose benefit the Trust land is held.
“Further details regarding the implementation of the transitional administrative arrangement and the process to reconstitute the Board will be communicated in due course,” he added.
The Zulu King had previously communicated directly with Nyhontso, making it unequivocally clear that he would not participate in or recognise a board whose conduct had been marred by allegations of maladministration, mismanagement, and impropriety.