Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso has accused King MisuZulu kaZwelithini of overstepping his authority by suspending members of the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB). Nyhontso claimed that the power to suspend board members actually rests with him as the lands minister.
The Zulu monarch recently suspended several board members, including the ITB CEO and CFO, pending an investigation into alleged breaches of the Public Finance Management Act. However, the board members released a statement stating that the king did not have the authority to suspend anyone within the Ingonyama Trust. They revealed that the king’s actions followed a letter in December appointing a new trustee to undertake specific functions within the trust.
Nyhontso emphasized that according to the Public Finance Management Act and the Ingonyama Trust Act, only the lands minister has the authority to appoint the ITB members. He explained that the minister is empowered to appoint, remove, and suspend board members as the entity’s executive authority. Therefore, Nyhontso argued that the king acted beyond his powers by suspending the board members.
The minister criticized the king’s decision to run the board on his own with only one unaffected board member, stating that it goes against good corporate governance practices. Nyhontso warned that the king’s actions may not hold up to legal scrutiny if challenged. He emphasized that the board will remain in office until the minister decides otherwise, following proper processes.
King MisuZulu had previously requested Nyhontso to dissolve the ITB, citing hostility and lack of cooperation from board members. The monarch, who serves as the ITB’s sole trustee and chairperson, took on the role after dismissing the previous chair. The ITB manages the affairs of the Ingonyama Trust, which oversees vast land holdings in KwaZulu-Natal on behalf of the monarch.
The minister appoints the board in consultation with the king, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal, and the House of Traditional Leaders. Nyhontso’s statements highlight the ongoing power struggle between the king and the minister regarding the governance of the Ingonyama Trust Board.
