MASTER’S OFFICE BID TO CONCLUDE OLD ESTATE FILES

MBABANE – Deputy Master Lindelwa Magagula says the Master’s Office is in the process of going through old files to ensure that the estates are concluded.

Magagula was responding to the Judicial &ommission of ,nquiry’s concern about old files in estates yet to be wound up. Judge Ma[ine /angwenya asked if it were possible for the master to go to the old files and find out if the beneficiaries are still alive so that the estates could be wound up and the files closed.

7he Mudge said it was not enough to say the people were no longer coming to the Master’s Office.

“7he office can be proactive and issue notices to establish if they are still alive and the e[ecutors and beneficiaries should be called,” said Judge /angwenya.

Magagula told the commission that this was an ongoing e[ercise in the Master’s Office. 7he deputy master said they had a list they could readily provide to the commission.

Pending

“We are trying to have the old files dealt with. We were yet to deal with this file (before the commission). We are working on this issue (of pending old files),” said Magagula.

7he &hairperson of the commission, Judge MaMahenkhaba Dlamini, said the critical people, former master &hurchill Dlamini and /awyer 7hulani Masina, in this estate had died.

7he Mudge told the complainant, Jabulani 6hongwe, that they would await a report from the Master’s Office which would answer the complainant’s concern, and weigh the responses as well as his submissions.

Judge Dlamini said if the beneficiaries did not get anything from the estate, it was not a pleasant matter.

7he Mudge also told Jabulani that the current officers in the Master’s Office were not present when the estate file was opened.

On another note, the commission was told that the e[ecutor and curator were paid (22 000 and (2 000 respectively for their services.

Jabulani accused the master of looting the estate. He also told the commission that he and his brother were arrested after a &aucasian man came to their father’s farm and told them he had bought the farm.

“He had locked the gates with his own padlock and we removed it and locked with ours. 7he master had an interest in the matter. 7o say we stole the cattle, it is not true. We feel like everyone was part of the collusion.

“7he regional police commander was brought to unleash the team of officers on us. 7hey wanted to ensure that we got nothing. 7he cattle were taken by force from us,” alleged Jabulani.

He stressed that there was no need to sell the farm. 7he bluebooks of the cars are still in the estate file 26 years later. 7he cars, according to Jabulani have been wasting away for the past 26 years. 7he commission wondered why the bluebooks were kept by the master if the distribution of the estate was done, as per information on the file.