Home | News | MUM (89) KICKED US OUT, NOW STAYS WITH BOYFRIEND (36) – MAN

MUM (89) KICKED US OUT, NOW STAYS WITH BOYFRIEND (36) – MAN

31/01/2024 15:16:00 Kwanele Dlamini

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MBABANE – The first man to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry alleged that his nearly 90-year-old mother kicked her sons out of the homestead and now stays with her 36-year-old boyfriend.

Ndoda Mkhwanazi (49) of Mhlane, in Matsapha, alleged that they were told that the boyfriend, who is younger than him, was their cousin. He wondered how their cousin could sleep in their mother’s house. During his appearance before the commission, which has been tasked with investigating allegations of malpractice in the Office of the Master of the High Court, Mkhwanazi informed the commission that this was one of the reasons that some people committed murder. “My mother is almost 90 years old but uhlala nemfana lona 36 (she stays with a 36-year-old boy),” alleged Mkhwanazi.

Judge Lorraine Hlophe asked if the ‘boy’ was Mkhwanazi’s relative. In response, Mkhwanazi alleged that it was his mother’s boyfriend. “I heard he was there even last night. They say he is our cousin,” he said. The Chairperson of the commission, Judge Majahenkhaba Dlamini, enquired what Mkhwanazi’s sister said about the matter and his response was that they spoke the same language with their mother. If the allegations made by Mkhwanazi are anything to go by, when the alleged boyfriend was born, his (Mkhwanazi) mother was already an elderly woman of around 64 years old. Other members of the commission are Judge President Sifiso Nsibande, Judge Mzwandile Fakudze and Judge Maxine Langwenya. Mkhwanazi appeared before the commission because he was not satisfied with the manner in which the estate of his father, Samuel, was handled, he said.

He told the commission that after his father died in September 2003, he went to stay with one of his sisters due to challenges he encountered at home. He said at the end of 2008, he and his brothers were allegedly called by their mother and four sisters, who told them that they had reached maturity, as a result they should leave the homestead and find women to marry.
Mkhwanazi stated that he decided to go to Johannesburg due to the challenges he faced at home and his elder brother found a flat to rent at Mahlabatsini, in Matsapha, while their younger brother remained at home despite the situation. He said their sisters were older than him and his younger brother. He informed the commission that before their father died, he had a shopping complex, S’Good is Nice, at Sigodvweni, which had four shops, three of which were rented out. Mkhwanazi also said his father had motor vehicles; a Ford van and Mercedes Benz.

lobola

He also mentioned an Isuzu van which was bought by his mother after the death of his father. He said there were cattle after lobola was paid for some of his sisters. The cattle, according to Mkhwanazi, were taken to certain homesteads at Siphofaneni and Nkambeni for rearing. His father also had a plot at Sterksroom and another at Wilmer Park. Mkhwanazi said when he was in Johannesburg in 2014, his sister, Khetsiwe, who was employed in the neighbouring country, was visited by another of their sisters. According to Mkhwanazi, Khetsiwe allegedly told him that they had sold one plot in Eswatini and they would give him his share of the sale later on. On the day in question, submitted Mkhwanazi, his sister arrived and they went to a bank in Campton Park where she withdrew R11 000, which she said was his share of the sale of the plot. “I enquired as to where the rest was because I knew that my father was worth more than that. She said I would get the balance when I returned to Eswatini.”

He said despite that there were issues when he left for the Republic of South Africa, he came back to Eswatini and confronted his mother about the rest of the money he believed was due to him. “My mother asked if my sisters had not given me any money. I approached the Master’s Office and I was given a file to peruse. In the file, only the two plots were mentioned and it was stated that, regarding one of the plots, we had agreed to give it to our mother. “The other properties were not mentioned. I was surprised because there was my signature and I was surprised how they obtained it. I wondered how I could have agreed to give my mother the plot when she was the one who chased us away, from our home. I went to stay on my own and due to financial constraints, I couldn’t hire a lawyer. I received a call from the master (referring to the secretary of the commission) yesterday and I was surprised,” Mkhwanazi submitted to the commission.

Judge Dlamini wanted to know if his (Mkhwanazi’s) father’s estate was reported to the Master’s Office. He said he would not know because when the elders did certain things, children were not involved. When asked if there was a family meeting after the death of his father, Mkhwanazi informed the commission that there was a meeting where a handwritten piece of paper was produced, which was purported to be a will and it was read out. He alleged that this happened in the presence of then Lawyer Lucia Lukhele, who is now a magistrate. Judge Hlophe asked about the marriage regime of Mkhwanazi’s parents and he said; “I don’t know because I was not there”. Judge Hlophe said from Mkhwanazi’s submission, the marriage regime was probably a civil rites union.

Judge Langwenya wanted to find out what happened after Mkhwanazi’s father had died. The complainant said his mother continued to operate the shop at the shopping complex. When asked what his issue with the Master’s Office was, he said: “Everything should start afresh. We must all be called and all of our father’s property be brought back and distributed accordingly, maybe I could be able to go back home. I need to know from the master what happened to my father’s property. The master never called me. I wonder how they continue to distribute someone’s property when one of us is not present.” Mkhwanazi said when he perused the master’s file, he discovered that his father had only E550 in the bank. He said it was concerning to him that his father’s estate was distributed in his absence. Judge President Nsibande said his concern was that at the Master’s Office, Mkhwanazi saw the file, but “did you tell the master that you were not satisfied with the way things were going?” Mkhwanazi said he was advised to hire an attorney but he did not have money. He told the commission that the master was suppose to give him a cheque, but that did not happen.