MBABANE:King Mswati’s order and a Gazette empowering the Mbabane Municipality to take over, develop, and incorporate Mangwaneni has created a conflict and systematically challenged by a group of traditional leaders,including Chiefs.
The powerful traditional leaders,through their Council of Chiefs,allegedly signed a petition directing the Mbabane Manicipality to stay away from Mangwaneni, pending consultations with the King to clarify whether Mangwaneni remains under Eswatini Nation Land (ENL) or has been surrendered to the administrators of the capital city.
Mangwaneni is situated in the South-western parts of Mbabane,the area that was previously under uMphakatsi, has been a centre of land disputes between the Municipality and residents.
But a document leaked to this Swaziland News by sources close to one of the Chiefs suggests that, the petition was signed by, among others, Chief Nsukumbili Gama of Dlangeni,Chief Ndlovula Dlamini of eKupheleni, Chief Prince Mnisi Dlamini of Nkaba Royal Kraal (Eludlambedlwini), Chief Prince Jabhane Dlamini of Siphocosini, and Chief Majahentfonjeni Kunene of the neighboring eMdzimba Royal Kraal(uMphakatsi).
Chief Majahentfonjeni Kunene comes from the Royal Kraal of “kaMba-bane”, the capital city-Mbabane was named after Mbabane Kunene from eMdzimba Royal Kraal(uMphakatsi),as it was established under his territory.
“Sicelo selibandla sitsi akume konkhe lize libuye nemphendvulo eMakhosini.Wena wekunene (meaning, As the Council,we are requesting that everything must be stopped until the Council comes back with a response from Their Majesties)”, reads the petition in part.
Reached for comments on Friday afternoon,Lucky Tsabedze,the Spokesperson of the Mbabane Municipality,confirmed knowledge of the petition signed by the Chiefs adding that,it was addressed at the highest level including and/or, by the Office of the Regional Administrator.
“The official position from MCM is that we are aware that at some point earlier this year a petition was circulated at a time when Council was conducting elections for Local Community Committees (LCCs), (which essentially is a community leadership structure that works in tandem with Ward Councillors for betterment of residents in the wards).So the said letter came about at a time when Council rolled out this electoral process and was angled, supposedly, as a tool to stop or even derail LCC elections in certain wards, and the ongoing matter of jurisdiction in Mangwaneni was mentioned in the conversations.Naturally, MCM alerted the parent Ministry(Housing and Urban Development).Subsequently,after discussions between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the office of the Regional Administrator, Council was advised that the letter and its contents had been greatly misdirected and was thus withdrawn,” said the Mbabane Municipality Spokesperson.
It is alleged that the King surrendered Mangwaneni to the Ministry of Housing and,by extension,the Mbabane Municipality.
But,a group of Chiefs and other traditional leaders allegedly approached Queen Ntombi Tfwala for an order stopping the Municipality from taking over the area.Historically,Mangwaneni has a Royal Kraal(uMphakatsi) but it is alleged that King Mswati issued an order that transferred the land to be incorporated by the Mbabane Municipality under Legal Notice No. 125 of 1993.
This was confirmed by the late Ludzidzini Governor Timothy Velabo(TV)Mtsetfwa in a meeting held at Ludzidzini Palace, where some traditional leaders had gone to seek clarity from the King regarding the matter,contents and/or electronic recordings of the royal meeting are in possession of this publication.
“Who can challenge a Gazzette issued as per the King’s command?”, said the Governor in the recorded royal meeting held at Lobamba.
Efforts to seek a comment from the Chairman of the Council of Chiefs proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments on Friday, Percy Simelane,the King’s Spokesperson, said the King and the Queen remain partners in the socio-economic evolution of the country, and therefore, the sentiments alleging different positions in the Mangwaneni case,leaves a lot to be desired.
“Traditionally,the King and the Indlovukazi are partners in defining the country’s socio-economic evolution, and we will continue to believe the case in hand that projects different positions leaves a lot to be desired.Without evidence of the alleged impasse, it would be difficult to clearly commit.”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
The dispute at Mangwaneni has been going on for sometime now and as a result, some residents who constructed their decent houses without seeking permission from the Mbabane Municipality were evicted, and their houses were demolished.
Part of the petition signed by Chiefs.