Eswatini Inner Council Fined 86 Cattle Over Land Allocation

The Eluhlendlweni Inner Council in Eswatini has been fined 86 cattle by the Land Management Board for allocating homesteads on grazing land. The penalty was imposed last Wednesday, and council members have expressed concerns that the fine is excessive. The council was fined for land allocations made years ago, some of which were carried out by people who had since died.

According to a council member who requested anonymity, the fine is harsh and the council was being punished for land allocations made years ago. He said the chiefdom had been without a chief for over 50 years, complicating its traditional leadership arrangements. The member also questioned how the Board expected the council to pay the fine within three months, citing the high cost of cattle.

The Land Management Board imposed penalties on different groups within the traditional leadership structure. The Emalangeni were fined the equivalent of 16 cattle, while the indvuna was fined five. Individual inner council members were fined two cattle each, while each of the imisumpe was fined one. The combined penalties amounted to 86 cattle.

A council member argued that the fine was excessive, comparing it with penalties imposed for adultery, which he claimed were less severe. He also claimed that fewer than 60 cattle currently grazed on the disputed land. The member attributed some of the land allocation disputes to the implementation of luhleliso, a community land development planning exercise introduced in the early 1980s.

The member also questioned why Eluhlendlweni had received a heavier penalty than other chiefdoms accused of similar land allocation offences. He cited Sigangeni, where the Land Management Board fined the inner council about 44 cattle for allocating homesteads on communal grazing land. The Board has also intervened at Siphocosini, ordering an immediate halt to construction near cattle dip tanks and the removal of homesteads allocated on grazing land.

Land Management Board Chairman Petros Mavimbela responded to the Eluhlendlweni complaints, urging dissatisfied council members to approach the Board directly. He said the Board was available to clarify its decisions and address complaints about penalties. Mavimbela said council members should seek assistance from the Board rather than rush to the media.

The interventions form part of the Board’s action against traditional authorities accused of allocating land reserved for communal grazing. The Board’s actions aim to regulate land use and prevent disputes.

Key points

• The Eluhlendlweni Inner Council was fined 86 cattle for allocating homesteads on grazing land.
• The council members have expressed concerns that the fine is excessive and have questioned the justification for the penalty.
• The Land Management Board has urged dissatisfied council members to approach the Board directly to clarify its decisions and address complaints.