23 KZN municipalities say Ingonyama Trust owes over R300m in outstanding rates

Durban – Twenty-three municipalities in KwaZulu- Natal said in Monday that the Ingonyama Trust owes them about R302 million in outstanding rates.

That was revealed by the trust’s chairperson, Judge Jerome Ngwenya, during a virtual meeting facilitated by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in KZN.

The trust is currently in control of close to three million hectares of land in the province and collects more than R100 million annually from those occupying the land.

King Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu is the sole trustee.

Judge Ngwenya said he was in discussion with provincial Cpogta officials over the debt owed to local municipalities.

The Judge also raised complaints, saying that municipalities wanted to claim for rates despite failing develop the land.

“Our dispute with municipalities is when they ask the trust to pay rates when they know very well that some of the municipalities use this land for free, and they want the board or the trust to pay rates for them. We say that cannot be the case,” said Judge Ngwenya.

He reiterated his criticism for the panel led by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, which recommended a review of the Ingonyama Trust.

“I told Mr Motlanthe personally in a meeting that one of the panelists was a person who had predetermined views and was a critic of the Ingonyama Trust,” Ngwenya said.

Ngwenya added that some of those who criticised the trust were funded by international organisations hell-bent on destabilising the Zulu nation.

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