TROUBLE FOR NEW NKHABA SETTLERS

NKHABA – The chieftaincy dispute at Nkhaba continues to rage on as new homesteads still mushroom, despite that allocation of land to new settlers (kukhontisa) was banned.

Since the demise of the area’s Chief Prince Bhekimpi in 1999, two inner councils came up claiming to be in charge of the area.
One faction is led by Headman Absalom Shabangu and other by Abraham Dlamini and Mefika Matsebula.

In 2012, the High Court issued an order stopping the allocation of land in the area until Prince Bhekimpi’s successor had been appointed.
The successor has not yet been named, 16 years later.

There was drama yesterday when the inner council, led by Shabangu, stormed new homesteads demanding to know who had allocated them land when there was a standing court order barring such.
The eight member council claimed that the other faction was unlawfully selling land to new people and despite reporting the matter to the District Commissioner’s offices, nothing changed.
Shabangu, in an interview, claimed that some of the new residents that were allocated land after the court order had claimed that they paid up to E15 000 to the other faction.

“We want the allocation of land to stop because there is still no chief in the area. We have reported the matter to the District Commissioner’s offices (Ndabazabantu) and the two factions were summoned.
“However, we have received no help because we continue to see new homesteads mushrooming in the area. We have, countless times, reported the matter to the police as well” Shabangu said.
He said most of the new homesteads mushroomed whenever there were traditional activities going on in the country, such as the Incwala ceremony when the inner council members are in Lobamba.
Shabangu said since the death of Prince Bhekimpi in 1999, the matter was dealt with in many forums but many homesteads mushroomed.

He said the unlawful allocation of land hampered development because even areas set aside for businesses and a new high school in had been allocated to homesteads. 
“In 2006, we made a headcount of the homesteads that were allocated land unlawfully and came up with 300 and that has never stopped. Obviously the figures have soared today,” Shabangu said.
As a result of the division, the faction, led by Shabangu, which supports Prince Falala, conducts its meetings outside the Nkhaba Royal Kraal while the other led by Dlamini and Matsebula meets inside the kraal.
However, Abraham Dlamini denied that his faction was allocating land to outsiders.

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