Durban - The Zulu nation fought and died to get back its land after it was dispossessed, and the Ingonyama Trust would help traditional leaders launch land claims to reclaim what was rightfully theirs, King Goodwill Zwelithini said on Tuesday.
The king was addressing 40 traditional leaders from across the province at a meeting in Kokstad. He had been in the area for two days meeting communities and their leaders in the uMzimkhulu and Sisonke areas.
“It hurts me a lot when talks about land are conducted and amakhosi are not consulted.
“Our grandfathers died for land,” he said.
The trust would assist with establishing the history of the land that the traditional leaders wanted to claim and help them with the legal route of the claim.
The king pledged that over the next three months he would travel across the province consulting traditional leaders and communities on the issue.
“As your king, I will abide by the law and approach the government to regain all Zulu land,” he said.
Earlier this year, President Jacob Zuma told Parliament and the National House of Traditional Leaders that the land claims process would be reopened. This was after the process was closed in 1998.
In the 1900s, traditional leaders did not live on farms as they did today, he said.
“It is my opinion that, as a society, if we want this land, we must ‘fight’ and correct Zulu history,” the king said.
Earlier, Inkosi Mbutshulwa Nkosi of Paulpietersburg told the king he was an inkosi only in name.
“It’s like I live in a tree. Our land is run by white farmers.
“The government says they are trying to help, but nothing is being done,” he said. He said the rightful owners of the land were the Zulu people and he could not wait to make a claim.
Inkosi Bhekisizwe Sibisi of Zululand said he did not hate white people who took land but hated their actions.
“Some of them (white farmers) want to return the land, provided they are paid, because they have made investments.”
Imkosi Bhekamadoda Hadebe, of St Faith’s in southern KZN, said: “The boers could not be blamed alone. Yes, they took our grandfathers’ land, but now people refuse to develop land when it’s returned.”
Hadebe said municipal councillors behaved as if they were traditional leaders and refused to support development initiatives.
“I cannot even make decisions as an inkosi. Ward councillors bully me. I want to work with the municipality, not against it.”
The Mercury