Chris Louw
THE Inkatha Freedom Party’s power base in kwaZulu/Natal is under serious threat following the disclosure of government plans to extend property rights to tribal land.
In reply to a question in the senate this week, Land Affairs Minister Derek Hanekom revealed that plans are afoot to grant freehold title — including in the previous homelands — as part of the programme of land redustribution.
Amendments are also to be made to the controversial Inqonyama Trust Act which placed almost all the land of the previous kwaZulu under trusteeship of Zulu king Goodwill Zwelethini, he said.
Hanekom said one of the ways in which land redistribution will be effected will be to “strengthen the property rights of persons already occupying land”.
If implemented, this will have serious repurcussions for the ability of tribal leaders in kwaZulu/Natal, who derive most of their power through patronage and their control of the land.
A spokesman for Hanekom’s office said there could be people in kwaZulu who might want to upgrade to freehold title or to community based title outside the present tribal administration of land. However, the issue still had to be discussed with kwaZulu/Natal premier Frank Mdlalose and the king.
One provision of the government’s reconstruction and development programme is that autocratic administration of land by tribal authorities should be replaced by democratic local government.
The upgrading of tenure rights for rural dwellers is also integral to the RDP.