King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has announced Inkosi Thanduyise Mzimela as the new Ingonyama Trust Board Chairperson. In a closed meeting held today in Kwa-Zulu Natal province, the King asked all the chiefs to support Mzimela.
He takes over from Jerome Ngwenya. This development comes after a conflict on who should become the next board chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust.
King Misuzulu’s meeting with the chiefs from across Kwa-Zulu Natal got underway in uLundi. Confusion around Ingonyama Trust Board chair issue dominated the meeting. Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi did not attend “due to reasons explained to the King.”
#IngonyamaTrust King MisuZulu KaZwelithini has just announced Inkosi Thanduyise Mzimela as the new Ingonyama Trust Board chair. In a closed meeting in uLundi, the King asked amakhosi to support inkosi Mzimela. He takes over from Jerome Ngwenya.#eNCA pic.twitter.com/RU55BrsZ1n
— Siphamandla Goge (@SiphamandlaGoge) May 9, 2023
Two candidates had emerged with former Judge Jerome Ngwenya and Thanduyise Mzimela and Prince Mangosuthu not attending.
The Ingonyama Trust board is very important to the Zulu kingdom as it oversees 2.8 million hectares of land. The King is the sole trustee of that. In the past weeks, there has been speculation concerning the land.
Some were afraid that their ancestral land which had been passed on from generations might end up being sold out. Following the announcement of a new board chairman, it seems this issue has now been resolved.
King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has managed to finally put to bed the confusion on who is the Board Chairperson. Inkosi Mzimela takes over from former Judge Jerome Ngwenya who was appointed to the position by the late King Goodwill Zwelithini.
A few days back, members of the Zulu royal family who are in the corner of Prince Simakade hosted a press conference in Durban. Among the issues they spoke about was the wrangle over who is the rightful chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust Board.
After today’s development, it is not clear how they will take it since they have always opposed to what King Misuzulu KaZwelithini is doing. What cannot be disputed however is that the Ingonyama Trust Board is important to the Zulu kingdom.