SIPHOFANENI - Finally, the long-standing chieftaincy dispute over Siphofaneni, which was turning into a ‘war’, has been settled.
The fast-developing community of Siphofaneni is under Madlenya Royal Kraal, which is headed by Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze.
A ruling issued by Ludzidzini Council, led by the Ludzidzini Indvuna Themba Ginindza, marked the end of the long-standing chieftaincy dispute between Madlenya and KaMkhweli royal kraals.
Madlenya is under Chief Mgwagwa, who is a Chief Officer in the King’s Office. KaMkhweli is led by Prince Mshengu, who is an appointed Member of Parliament (MP).
When issuing the ruling, bout four minutes, at Siphofaneni Inkhundla Centre, Indvuna Ginindza highlighted that the chieftaincy dispute between the two chiefdoms started a long time ago, such that he has lost count of how many years this issue remained unresolved.
He highlighted that the council visited the affected chiefdoms on a fact-finding mission regarding the dispute. In fact, he said, even the previous council also visited the chiefdoms at some point regarding the matter. He said their visit, among other factors, led to the conclusion that the boundaries of the chiefdoms were marked by the Mashuphula River.
In that regard, he said Madlenya is on the other side of the river, same as KaMkhweli. He said people who acquired land at Madlenya, but were on the other side of the river, would now fall under KaMkhweli. Likewise, he said people of KaMkhweli on the other side of the river, would now pay allegiance to Madlenya Royal Kraal. He said those who will fail to pay allegiance to the new chiefdom, will be dealt with.
“I am happy that both chiefs are present, which means they got the ruling in person, which means they know what to do – respect the ruling,” the indvuna said.
He added that following the ruling, His Majesty King Mswati III expects peace and to see the communities living in harmony.
It is worth noting that when the chieftaincy dispute escalated some years ago, a ruling was issued and it was to the effect that the area, which is under dispute, should be under the Lubombo Regional Administrator’s (RAs) Office, pending the finalisation of the matter.
Recently, chaos erupted after about four new businesses erected fencing lines around the Siphofaneni community and they were promptly stopped from doing so by an angry group of people from the Madlenya Umphakatsi on allegations that the land they are fencing was not allocated by the rightful umphakatsi, but by that of KaMkhweli.
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Ruling gives hope - RA
SIPHOFANENI - Lubombo Regional Administrator (RA) Themba Msibi says the chieftaincy dispute affected development and the ruling gives them hope.
The Lubombo RA, who was present when the ruling was issued yesterday, said he hopes that the ruling will bring an end to the chieftaincy dispute that had lingered for years like a shadow over progress.
He said the dispute had held back development projects that could have transformed the lives of many and now, with the ruling favouring stability and unity, they could finally move forward.
“The ruling gives us hope,” he said, while highlighting that for too long, uncertainty has reigned, keeping the people of Siphofaneni from realising their full potential.
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Court ruling lifts pressure on businesses
MANZINI – The Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) is celebrating the ruling as it will take off the negative pressure from businesses, which was caused by the chieftaincy dispute.
The federation, through its Head of Business Transformation, Mavela Sigwane, said it is celebrating not just a resolution to a dispute, but a new dawn for Siphofaneni. He said for too long, businesses have been held back by the uncertainty and conflicts that stemmed from leadership struggles. “With this ruling, we can look forward to a more stable environment for investment and growth,” Sigwane said. However, he said as a federation of the business community, they want to see the Ludzidzini Council acting with urgency on matters like these. He also called upon the council to draft and publicise the boundaries of chiefdoms in the country in order to avoid chieftaincy disputes in the future. He said this initiative will not only clarify leadership, but will also provide a solid foundation for businesses to flourish. “We need clear boundaries of chiefdoms to prevent future disputes. Ambiguities lead to conflict and conflict stifles business development and economic growth,” Sigwane added
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