Widow accuses royal kraal of land grab
MVUTJINI - A widowed woman of Ehini has accused the area’s royal kraal of grabbing her piece of land.
Ehini is an area situated west of Malagwane Hill. In an interview, Jabulile Sithole said she was taken by surprise when she found pegs dividing her piece of land. She stated that when she enquired about the pegs, her neighbour, who is also a member of the inner council, told her that the pegs were erected by the inner council, with instruction from Indvuna Jabulani Dvuba.
Sithole stated that the member of the inner council told her that the pegs served as a demarcation line, meaning she had to reduce her fencing and leave the portion outside the pegs.
Asked why the royal kraal would reduce her piece of land, Sithole stated that one of her neighbours had lodged a complaint with the royal kraal after her son, who had a homestead next to hers, had blocked the road leading to the fields. Sithole acknowledged that neighbours had access to the fields through the no man’s land before her son installed a gate. She stated that there was no way she could reason with her son to open his gate leading to the neighbours’ fields.
Sithole stated that she was on the verge of expelling her son from the piece of land she allocated him on the field. This, she said, was because her son and his wife were disrespectful to her. Sithole claimed that the couple insulted and made startling allegations against her.
Upon a visit to the area, there was a straight line dividing the land fenced by Sithole into two. The remaining portion had some fruit trees, such as paw-paw and mango trees. However, there are always two sides to a story. Ehini Indvuna Dvuba confirmed having assigned the inner council to erect the pegs at Sithole’s homestead. Dvuba stated that to the best of his knowledge, Sithole extended her fencing into the no man’s land, resulting in her blocking the road leading to other people’s fields.
He said the concerned residents approached the royal kraal for remedy. “I assigned the inner council to put clear demarcations as they were the ones who allocated Sithole the piece of land. I heard from the inner council that Sithole extended her fencing into the no-man’s land. It was for that reason I told the inner council to separate
Sithole’s land from the no-man’s land with the demarcation line,” he said.
Dvuba stated that he properly engaged the inner council concerning the matter. Asked how the pegs were erected in the absence of Sithole, Dvuba stated that Sithole was informed about the inner council’s presence at her homestead, but she told them to go ahead.
Intention
“That piece of land never belonged to Sithole but it had been a no-man’s land for years. The royal kraal has no intention to use the piece of land, but it will remain a no-man’s land so that people can walk freely to their fields,” he said. Concerning the dispute between Sithole and her son, Dvuba made it clear that the royal kraal had no powers to expel a legal resident from his homestead.
Dvuba stated that the offspring was allocated a piece of land as a result of a request from his mother. “Sithole brought her son to the royal kraal and requested that he be allocated a piece of land on her fields. She made it clear that her son does not belong to the Vilakati family but she wanted him to be closer to her so that he can look after his sister. The royal kraal cannot expel him on behalf of her mother, unless he commits offences against the community, such as witchcraft and adultery,” he said.
Dvuba stated that the dispute between Sithole and her son has been referred back to the royal kraal from the Office of Ndabazabantu, where it was reported by Sithole. He said the royal kraal was waiting for Sithole’s in-laws to bring her and her son to the royal kraal. “I believe that a royal kraal does not exist to separate families. Ours is to listen to both parties and help them reach an amicable solution,” he said.