MOVE OUT OR ELSE – KING’S NEIGHBOUR WARNED

MBABANE – While Gilbert Mabila continues to resist relocation, the Swazi government fears for the worst.

About five months ago, the Times SUNDAY exclusively reported that government was making frantic efforts to persuade the resistant Mabila to move out of his farm which shares very close boundaries with Nkoyoyo Palace. For the past 25 years, the 88-year-old has successfully fought and resisted his evacuation from his 4.7 title-deed farm in Nkoyoyo, outside Mbabane.
The Swazi government through the Attorney General’s office highlighted that it was hoped that the relocation of Mabila was to be achieved peacefully without going to court, as a gazette was issued to have him relocate to a new location.
The acting Attorney General is Sifiso Khumalo.

“This matter has been going on since 1989 and the said person was asked to move out of Nkoyoyo pending completion of an alternative house that was being built not very far from the present premises. That house was completed but for some reason and without notice he returned and reentered and reoccupied the house from which he had been cleared. In the meantime, the house built at the specifications of approved access roads and fencing was allowed to rot and crumble, looted and vandalised by passers-by. To date, it is only ruins that remain.”

Khumalo made it clear that as it may, Mabila had to move out of the premises at Nkoyoyo as arrangements were made for him.
He cited that the excuse for Mabila to say the title deed for the new location was not handed to him can hardly be a good excuse not to move out, yet all his neighbours moved out as instructed by government officials.
“Following the discussions on this matter just before Incwala, wherein Mabila’s brother Robert attended, and the mood was that this matter cannot float endlessly. All of us on the government’s side would be unhappy to see the worst happening to conclude the matter. At the time of the discussions, we were even considering finding an alternative accommodation for him and his late daughter’s furniture,” reads a letter written to Mabila’s legal team which the Times SUNDAY has seen.

Quizzed on why he did not move into his new residence, Mabila said government was cracking a joke by ‘compensating’ him with a house built on Swazi Nation Land.
He said he was expected to move to a house built on sloppy ground and which was flooded with water during rainy days. “They wanted me to move from my title-deed land to Swazi Nation Land to pay allegiance to a chief. A resettlement should make me better, not worse off,” he argued.

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