The ongoing battle over the governance of the Ingonyama Trust is set to intensify as the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso, awaits an audience with King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, following the king’s cultural seclusion. Nyhontso has written directly to the king requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the deeply contentious issue of the Trust’s leadership, which has seen a string of dramatic developments, including the suspension of board members and the king’s decision to dissolve the entire board—except for Dr. Thandiwe Dlamini.
The situation has escalated after the king’s lawyer, Stephen Rakwena, and Dlamini attempted to seize critical Trust documents last week, only to be blocked by security. The tension between the king, his legal team, and the suspended board has been palpable, with the king continuing to issue instructions via his lawyers while his board members remain at odds over who has the authority to run the Trust. Nyhontso, who has publicly stated that the king’s actions are illegal, is now hoping that the king will address the matter soon after his seclusion ends.
Nyhontso has been blunt about his intentions, saying the board cannot continue if it is unable to work effectively with the king. He suggests that a three-to-five-month investigation involving cultural experts from KwaZulu-Natal could help clarify the situation and guide decisions on whether the board should be dissolved. “We do not want to be involved in a media public spat with the king. At the same time, nobody is above the law. We must respect the law,” Nyhontso said, highlighting the stakes involved in resolving the governance crisis.
While the king’s legal team insists on the board’s dissolution, some committee members, including Democratic Alliance MP Mlindi Nhanha, are concerned that the committee’s delay in acting could allow matters to spiral out of control. The crisis has sparked a range of opinions in the Portfolio Committee on Land and Rural Development, with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Nthako Sam Matiase warning that the situation has reached a breaking point. Matiase suggested that the matter should be handled carefully to avoid tarnishing the monarchy’s reputation, stressing that the reasons for the king’s loss of confidence in the board remain unclear.
At the heart of this dispute is the question of legal authority: who, exactly, is empowered to run the Ingonyama Trust? Nyhontso has emphasized that there are clear legal processes to follow, but the involvement of lawyers—whom Committee member Mangaqa Albert Mncwango described as a disruptive influence—has complicated the situation. Meanwhile, ANC MP Sylvia Lucas urged the committee to maintain objectivity, suggesting that legal opinions would be crucial in determining the next steps if the king can indeed prove that the relationship with the board has irreparably broken down.
As the king’s return from seclusion looms, the pressure mounts for a resolution to this increasingly volatile situation. With accusations and counter-accusations flying, all eyes are on the upcoming meeting between Nyhontso and King Misuzulu, which could determine not just the future of the Ingonyama Trust, but the broader governance of the Zulu monarchy itself.
