Ingonyama Trust should help rebuild

ON A hike this past weekend through the Valley of 1 000 Hills it was heartbreaking to see the extent of washaways and destroyed simple dwellings that were built on what is effectively just a step or ledge into a hillside.

The cutaway earth bank or wall had no form of any sand retention, eg, retaining walls, Loffelstein bricks or vegetation to bind the earth. Simply put, the poor souls living there had no chance of escaping the torrents of water.

It is accepted practice that landlords are responsible for the repair and maintenance of the properties they lease out to tenants, so I am puzzled why the various chiefs who extract money from their subjects to occupy the land are not held responsible for ensuring that the areas are safe and fit for human habitation, or is it just a money-seeking operation with no obligations?

We know that organisations like the Ingonyama Trust in KwaZulu-Natal is extremely wealthy so I would be thrilled to read that it is contributing to the rebuilding of the destroyed homes, or is it just wishful thinking? TONY BALL | Gillitts