ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 10 • 14 - 20 May 2010
KAPMAIDEN – Libuyile land claim trustees are up in arms and have removed the chairperson of the board of trustees, Musa Khumalo.
The different trustees from all over the Nkomazi region, Matsulu, and Kapmaiden sang struggle songs baying for Khumalo’s head if he resists moving out of the farm.
Khumalo’s ordeal unfolded last Sunday at Libuyile farms, next to the N4 near Kaapmuiden.
Police were called to calm the situation as the impatient claimants were demanding his evition.
This came after the Libuyile land claimants were not pleased the way Khumalo is handling the business affairs of their land. The community successfully claimed their land which was taken from their forefathers from a number of white farmers and sugar producing company Tsb Sugar.
The beneficiaries that consist of more than 1000 trustees were surprised to learn that only 13 members, which are the board of trustees, were legible as claimants and beneficiaries of the Libuyile.
They also said that they were surprised that Khumalo was telling people that he’s the chief of the Libuyile community. It is also alleged that he went to local farmers and demanded money for his tribal authority.
All the Khumalos, whom he claim he is their chiefs, are disputing his chieftaincy and claim that he was never sworn as a chief but that has sworn himself in.
According to Samuel Sibusiso Khumalo, who’s the principal claimant of the land, Musa Khumalo with his board drafted a constitution that prohibits the other hundreds of beneficiaries to have access to the land.
Musa Khumalo asked the community to bear with him and not to evict him from the house he is living in from the farm.
“Yes I can step down as the chairperson of the board, but I can’t be forced to move out of the house” said Khumalo.
“What I know is that I’m a chief of this community and nobody can force me to move,” claimed Khumalo.
Amongst other things that are raising eyebrows to the beneficiaries, since the claim was won in 2005 and Musa was voted the chairman of the board, they have not had any reports from his board.
Matters came to a boil, after one of the board members who was Khumalo’s deputy, Zulu Chirwa, came forward to the community and voiced every scheme that the board was engaging in.
The Libuyile farm is specializing in sugarcane farming, mango, and vegetables and the community alleges that Khumalo is pocketing all the profits from the sales of the farm produce.
Amongst other things that were publicized were that Khumalo’s wife is selling vegetables to big super markets in the country and is said to be keeping the money.
After Khumalo’s resistance to move, the mob then decided to apply for an eviction order as that can be valid this weekend.
Khumalo told Ziwaphi that he has not been evicted from the farm, but confirmed that there was an unrest incident.
“I was not evicted, and these allegations against me an my family are unfair, uninformed and orchestrated by dangerous forces.”
He, however, confirmed that a small portion of land had been allocated to him and that was approved by board the Libuyile Community Trust
“We have set aside hectares of land to plant vegetables for people at home. The farm produce is used for subsistence purposes and to give people food, such as visitors and mainly for community meetings and other engagements of the tribal council,” he said.
“There are other portions of land, 10 ha that were set aside for communities vegetable gardens. It is not just one narrow allocation of land to the tribal council. As I speak, now, people are busy planting on those fields.”
“These allegations are spread by people behind have a counter-revolutionary agenda,” Khumalo said.
Trustees up in arms against Chief