[ad_1]
The threat of a Zulu king to jeopardize the chances of the African National Congress (ANC) in next year's elections led the ruling party to exempt tribal territories from agrarian reform in Africa South
. debate over whether the constitution should be amended to allow expropriation without compensation to remedy one of the worst legacies of colonialism: the forced displacement of indigenous peoples.
Millions of blacks were illegally evicted from their lands living in tribal reserves known as "homelands" as part of the National Party's racial segregation policy.
More than two decades have pbaded since the transition to democracy and this injustice has not been adequately addressed. land redistribution and compensation programs for the dispossessed.
White commercial farmers and urban land grabbers They have long feared to bear the brunt of expropriation without compensation if the government amends the constitution to allow it, but tensions have also arisen between traditional leaders and the landlord. State on the question.
Traditional leaders fear the government following remarks made in May at an ANC meeting by former president of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe [19659002Hesuggestedthatthecontrolexercisedbythechiefsoverhomelandsandhomelandersallowedthemtoabandontheirhomeland
During apartheid, the homelands were placed under the care of docile leaders who were administrators for white-led governments rather than representatives of the people, according to Mary de Haas, an anthropologist in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
"It is a feudal and autocratic system that parallels the elected democratic government," she said, adding that "even when leaders engage in illegal behavior, such as driving people out of land, the government does not act against them. "
The traditional system also disagrees with national laws on land ownership and occupation for residential purposes do not receive title deeds or have job security in the current system, which leaves them open to abuse.
'tin-pot dictators'
Motlanthus qualified as village chiefs "In discussing a parliamentary report that he helped produce that recommends the dissolution of one of the trusts, the Ingonyama Trust, which holds 30 percent of all land in KwaZulu. -Native.
Administered by the Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini, trust was established just before the end of apartheid in 1994 to protect traditional Zulu lands and pacify tribal leaders threatening to destabilize the country's transition to democracy .
In response to criticism, Zwelithini condemned the government's plans for land expropriation without compensation with respect to the Ingonyama Trust.
At a tribal meeting in July, he suggested that the Zulus vote against politicians who threaten traditional systems and warned that the land would lead to violence. Zwelithini also said that KwaZulu-Natal was ready to become his own state if the government continued to ignore them.
With a crucial general election next year, Zwelithini's warnings appear to have motivated the ANC to defuse the situation in order to consolidate When meeting with Zwelithini in early July, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised that lands under the control of traditional chiefs would be exempted from the proposals because they "hold this land in the name of our people". "
It has also been confirmed that the controversial report compiled by Motlanthe and his parliamentary colleagues will not be addressed by the lower house until next year's ballot.
Brian Liggett, closely Lisburn, Ireland of the North, lives on tribal lands in the village of Kwanzim, in southern KwaZulu-Natal, where he runs an NGO called Network Action Group
He told The Irish Times that his experience of the tribal system was positive, and said the ANC could face a backlash in the polls if it tried to undermine traditional leaders.
"Me and my wife decided to We live in the community in which we work, so with the help of a leader, we got a conspiracy.I did not meet any corruption and I think the informal tribal system is good. "
Liggett (36) described how he received a receipt from the chief and an official letter stating that the family could occupy the land. a 40-year lease after paying a registration fee of 800 rand (€ 51) and met the locals to see if there were any objections to the arrangement.
"We do not pay the annual rent, but if we want to sell the house we built on our land, it can be done through a private cash sale," he said. also banks against their leasing, which partially cancels the need for title deeds. "
" Generalized Corruption "
According to the traditional system, people are not required to pay rent, but Haas says that there are many examples of corruption at the level of the Ingonyama Trust in relation to this.
"In some areas, the trust makes people who do not know their rights to sign leases pay an annual rent. "
Mining is another problem for some communities, because of the incentives given to chiefs by companies that want residents to be removed from areas that miners want to explore. Haas said, because they are "threatened, intimidated and sometimes killed to do it".
Source link
