The Inkatha Freedom Party challenges the KZN Legislature Speaker, Ms Lydia Johnson and the KZN Premier, Willies Mchunu to tell the public about what views were contained in the submissions presented to the High-Level Panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation and the Acceleration of Fundamental Change, chaired by former ANC President, Kgalema Motlanthe, which included a call for the repeal of the Ingonyama Trust Act.
“The Speaker must tell the world what she presented in that Panel because as Members of the Legislature we were not informed of any submissions concerning the Ingonyama Trust Act. Therefore, on behalf of whom those submissions were made as we were not informed? We are saying this because the Speaker was part of a Forum consulted on this Report. The Premier also cannot be exempted from this matter he must come clean and tell the public whether he made any contribution in the submissions in this matter.
It is highly important that the Speaker comes clean on this matter over the current uncertainty around the future of the Trust and wide-spread concern from different stakeholders including traditional communities and traditional leaders,” said IFP Leader in the KZN Legislature, Mr Blessed Gwala MPL.
“Furthermore, as Members of the Legislature we are still kept in the dark about the Motlanthe Report on this matter. The Speaker hasn’t tabled this Report in the House and there is no indication of when this Report will be tabled and debated in the House.
In demonstrating the sensitivity of this matter, I raised a Motion in the House to express how the traditional leadership is enraged, confused and curious over this matter. To substantiate this, last month during the Circumcision Celebration in uMzinyathi, Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, Chairperson of the KZN Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, expressed his motions that Motlanthe was provoking traditional leadership and became emotional, failing to hold back his tears during his speech.
Prior to this incident, we witnessed the same pain expressed by the Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch and Nation, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi during the commemoration of the Anglo-Zulu War at Isandlwana in Nquthu, earlier this year. This was after the news that former President Motlanthe recommended that Ingonyama Trust be revoked” concluded Mr Gwala.
We challenge the Speaker to provide a clear timeframe on when she will table the Report in the House for a debate and for a final resolution in this matter. This is no time for complacency.
Issued by:
Mr Blessed Gwala MPL
IFP Leader in the KZN Legislature
078 290 5842
