Clan claims varsity land
UniZulu in bid to get title deed
The University of Zululand’s effort to obtain a title deed for the land on which it was built hangs in the balance if the families, who were forcibly removed from the land to make way for the institution, are not compensated.
Some families who were removed in the 1950s under the Group Areas Act have accused the local inkosi of supporting the transfer of the land ownership from the South African Development Trust to the university.
In September, the university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Xoliswa Mtose, wrote to Chief Mandla Mkhwanazi requesting that he give them an endorsement letter in support of the transfer of land to the university.
Mtose said the university would then forward the letter to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the transfer would lead to an issuing of a title deed, making the university the owner of the land.
Mkhwanazi endorsed the transfer of the land and gave the department the go-ahead to proceed with the transfer of this land to the university.
He confirmed that there was a process to issue a title deed to the institution – which was being handled together with the Ingonyama Trust, which administers 2.8million hectares of land in KwaZulu-Natal for Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
“Together with the Ingonyama Trust, we will brief the community about this issue. We want to do justice so that the land must be returned. If the university has to lease the land then it must lease it,” he said.
However, Mkhwanazi said people could only be compensated by the department. He revealed that a land claim lodged by the late inkosi Mbhantokayise Mkhwanazi in April 1997, on behalf of the Mkhwanazi clan – which also involved the university land, had been declared valid but they were still waiting for feedback on how the people would be compensated.
Some families, who spoke to Sowetan’s sister publication TimesSELECT, said they were not aware the university had requested a title deed.
While the families said they were not against the university being granted the title deed, they still wanted to be compensated for their land.
Herbert Dube, 68, a member of the Dube family who were removed from the land, said the family were concerned about their ancestral graves which were destroyed during the construction of the university.
“We were forcibly removed from the land and it was very painful but we were not compensated. It is our view that since the government now is talking about compensation and giving land back to the people, that we should also be consoled by a way of compensation. We are not saying the university must move.”
Dube’s sister Zethu Dludla, 61, said: “We wish to go there to erect one tombstone in remembrance of all our ancestors buried there. But, as a family we are still paining about our father’s houses which were demolished. We still become emotional when we talk about that.”
Mdu Dlamini, whose family was also removed, said no one in the community wanted the university to receive the title deed. “Those people who were removed should be compensated or be given jobs at the university.”
The university and the Ingonyama Trust did not respond despite numerous requests for comment.
Vela Zimele Mngwengwe, chief director of property management and advisory services in the Department of
‘‘ We want to do justice so that the land must be returned
Rural Development and Land Reform, confirmed that the university had approached Minister Gugile Nkwinti for the transfer of land.
“On the status of the matter, the minister approved the possible transfer of the subject property to the University of Zululand in July 1997. The approval was, however, conditional on, amongst other things, various bodies or persons being supportive of the transaction. Such persons or bodies included what was then described as the local tribal authority, which I believe is now known as the Mkhwanazi traditional council,” he said.